True to its name, it studied how a representative sample of nine wind farms in Victoria, NSW and South Australia were perceived by their communities.

It undertook research and conducted interviews with opponents, supporters, landholders and wind companies alike.

It explored opposition to wind farms and listed a number of reasons where they were opposed.

It also listed the main reasons saupporters were in favour.

In the case of Crookwell in NSW it found that initial oppostion dissipated after the wind farm was built whereas opposition continued to Hallett 3 in South Australia, despite public support from two of the turbine hosts.

The report was a detailed and constructive attempt to understand whether wind farms could be developed in a way that communities could genuinely accept.

But all of this will be news to the readers of 'Bias claim on CSIRO findings' (The Courier January 18).

Instead of informing us about what the report actually said, the reporter ignored the content and dug up known anti-wind advocates to accused the CSIRO of bias.

Eighty one pages of thorough, balanced research made way for a story with almost no information whose sole purpose was to shoot the messenger.

This article leads me to question whether The Courier is still interested in engaging its readers in sensible discussion about wind farms.

ANDREW BRAY

Ballarat