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“Mr Kavanagh raised the issue in parliament on September 2, after meeting with several Waubra residents who claim [claim?  Interesting word to use—Editor] the towers have caused headaches, nausea and sleep deprivation since they began operating in June.  “I did a tour of Waubra in late August and people there are very upset about the wind farm,” Mr Kavanagh said.  “Most of them were fairly happy to go along with the turbines before they were installed, but now I know of one family who won’t live in their house.  It certainly isn’t an isolated incident.”

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—Kim Stephens, The Courier (10/15/09)

The Victorian Government will examine claims that Waubra’s 128-turbine wind farm is harming the health of nearby residents.  Finance, WorkCover and Transport Accident Commission Minister, Tim Holding, wrote to Western Victoria MLC Peter Kavanagh earlier this week to confirm that three government departments would examine “potential hazards” caused by sub-audible noise emitted by the turbines.

Mr Kavanagh raised the issue in parliament on September 2, after meeting with several Waubra residents who claim the towers have caused headaches, nausea and sleep deprivation since they began operating in June.  “I did a tour of Waubra in late August and people there are very upset about the wind farm,” Mr Kavanagh said.  “Most of them were fairly happy to go along with the turbines before they were installed, but now I know of one family who won’t live in their house.  It certainly isn’t an isolated incident.”

Waubra wind farm

WorkSafe Victoria, the Environmental Protection Authority and the Department of Human Services will work with local government to examine the issue raised by Mr Kavanagh.  But a WorkSafe spokesman denied the move was a formal investigation.  “It’s not an investigation. We are looking at specific claims made by a few local residents,” he said.  “Questions have been asked of the minister and by getting other relevant departments involved we are trying to answer the questions asked.  It’s in its very early stages and where it goes we don’t know.”

A spokesman for Acciona Energy, the Spanish company behind the wind farm, said extensive studies of wind farms worldwide were yet to provide conclusive proof that they were harmful.  “Acciona Energy is not aware of any investigation but would willingly participate with confidence, knowing there is no clear, consistent scientific data, nor a peer-reviewed scientific consensus, to confirm a connection between modern wind turbines and health concerns,” he said.  “The Waubra wind farm meets the stringent noise levels required by government.”

The spokesman said the farm reached full generation capacity for the first time two weeks ago.
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