Disclosure needed on foundation's motives

Updated November 2 2012 - 5:33pm, first published September 9 2011 - 12:11am

A RECENT letter to this paper from Peter Mitchell on turbines was signed off as chairman of the Waubra Foundation. Some disclosure is in order.Far from maintaining complete independence from anti-wind advocacy groups, as per its charter, the Waubra Foundation effectively acts as a front group for the Landscape Guardians. Despite claiming concern about almost all threats to the landscape, this group only fights against windfarms.It is always notably absent when green wedges are threatened or coal mines, coal seam gas developments or polluting power stations are proposed near communities.As to its leadership, perhaps Mr Mitchell should disclose that he's been fighting the Stockyard Hill Wind Farm for years, and is associated with the Landscape Guardians.Fellow directors of the Waubra Foundation are no more independent. Sarah Laurie, Kathy Russell, Tony Hodgson and Michael Wooldridge all have objected to wind farm projects in their own back yards.The Waubra Foundation sows seeds of division wherever it goes and blames the resulting mess on the wind industry.Our organisation supported the call for further research into wind turbines that came from the recent Senate inquiry. But we also look to the fact that there are around 100,000 commercial scale turbines around the world, many of which have been operating for decades, without significant impacts on local communities. While "wind turbine syndrome" is not recognised by any medical authority in the world, many anti-wind activists portray the slightest symptoms of anxiety of insomnia as being indicative of the syndrome.We argue that this displays little regard for the effect of these claims on the mental health of rural communities around existing or proposed wind farms.While this approach might be effective in delaying wind developments in their own neighbourhoods, it does so at the expense of rural communities that want to benefit from renewable energy.CAM WALKERCampaigns coordinatorFriends of the EarthCastlemaine

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