Open Letter sent to:

Dr Rosemary Lester
Chief Health Officer
50 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne 3000
Victoria, Australia

Date: 2.4.2014

Dear Dr. Rosemary Lester,

You and your Department are well aware of impacts of industrial wind turbines on human health from reports from Victorian residents.  This document explains precisely what is occurring for residents living in quiet rural areas and what physiological harm is occurring: http://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/salt-n-lichtenhan-j-t-how-does-wind-turbine-noise-affect-people/

We experience many health problems living next door to the Cape Bridgewater Wind Farm in South West Victoria. I have read the statement by Mr. Mark Duchamp from the World Council of Nature. http://wcfn.org/2014/03/31/windfarms-vertebrates-and-reproduction/

Today it’s difficult to stop crying.   Not only is human health being ignored, animals are severely impacted by wind turbines as well.  Tears are flowing because not only are animals not protected from harm, neither are we residents. We can no longer bear the impact of our experiences near wind facilities not being heard, not being acted on and not being prevented.

GP’s and Specialists advise the cure is to “move away”, give limited instructions and advice, proffer prescriptions and pills, request blood tests etc. to discover the cause of ill-health and as required by law to provide correct diagnosis and treatment; expensive measures on a national scale and our health and well-being deteriorates.  Relocation is unaffordable, our home deemed unsalable according to the valuer engaged by the bank holding our mortgage.  We have followed instructions of the Health Department, Department of Planning, and Glenelg Shire Council and co-operated as requested, with Pacific Hydro whom own the wind facility.

We are traumatized by the inhumanity being shown towards our communities.

We hit our heads against a medical system brick wall over and over again, in attempt to be simply being heard.  To repeatedly point out independent noise testing in our homes detects noise problems, that these noises are the direct cause of headaches, illness and many health problems. To repeatedly be put down, dismissed and told “there are no problems near wind farms” and “there’s nothing we can do” or “there is no evidence” or “Move away.’

For those responsible for our pain, to legally speak, “Ignorance is no Excuse” and you will be held to account.

The 2011 Senate Inquiry into the Impact of Wind Farms, http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/ Community_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2010-13/impactruralwindfarms/report/b02 called for more research into wind farm noise, as does PM Abbot’s Government, as does Minister Guy, as does the NHMRC, as do many Senators and Professionals and persons of integrity wanting to see justice for people and communities, negatively impacted and suffering.

Solid stone homes, concrete slabs, corrugated roofs and sheds, even the ground vibrates to the sound energy emissions from the turbines.  Bodies and internal organs and tiny bones, vibrate to emissions and are blasted by pressure and pressure waves. Years of exposure to bodily harm; infrasound and ultrasound bombard every living cell. Prolonged exposure to noise and resulting sleep deprivation causes harm.

Noise pollution from wind turbines was shown by Dr Neil Kelley, thirty years ago, to DIRECTLY cause a range of symptoms, currently named Wind Turbine Syndrome, to neighbours of bigger and larger wind facilities with ongoing unresolved noise issues. Seehttp://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/1987-problem-with-low-frequency-noise-from-wind-turbines-scientifically-identified/

Negative impacts have been well researched and documented; Dr. Kelley defined and established health protective exposure limits for wind turbine infrasound and low frequency noise; which State and Federal Governments, including the NHMRC have been repeatedly made aware of, yet choose to ignore.

The Association of Veterans Affairs Audiologists in America in 2010 documented the effects of infrasound and recommended levels of exposure determined by various highly regarded bodies such as NASA etc.  http://myavaa.org/documents/conferences/AVAA-March-2010-Conference/PDF-Presentations/Cook%20Mon%201015%20Navy%20JDVAC%202010.pdf

No-one monitors or limits our exposure levels.

Not to noise, not to infrasound, not to blade flicker, not to vibration within our homes, not to electromagnetic radiation….no-one is monitoring this industry.  People living next door are required to report faults, or fires, or blade damage or noises… there’s seemingly no safe-guarding whistles and bells, as reported at this wind facility. http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/2014/mighty-mouse-knocks-out-wind-turbine-minnesota/

Environmental noise exposure risks public health, and is recognised by international bodies such as the World Health Organisation, and the US Centre for Disease Control.  What are your directives for managing wind farm harm?  What are you doing to protect people from wind industry interference in health management? Interference revealed by Senator Madigan in parliament recently re: wind farm communications with medical clinics in the Western District, including two clinics in Portland. See http://www.johnmadigan.com.au/senate/senate-speeches-video/

How much longer are we to bear ongoing wind farm abuses?   Six, ten, twenty, thirty years reporting problems and nothing has been done to cease the pain and harm.  We’ve been palmed off from one Government Department to another and eventually ignored or derided; all the while infrasound and low frequency noise, audible noise and vibration from the turbines tortures us.

Noises annoy us.  Sleep eludes us.

Denial of the problems and this form of torture is unacceptable and no doubt litigation will occur here in Australia as it has done overseas, with turbines being ordered to be pulled down in Portugal, because of proven vibroacoustic disease in animals and humans, and in December 2013, Justice Muse ordered the wind farm in Falmouth USA to be turned off at night to prevent “irreparable harm to physical and psychological health”

How often is it to be repeated that people, Doctors, the public, administrators must be better educated regarding the issues we’re daily confronted with.  The Health Department, the EPA, the NHMRC and Government are where such awareness and education begins, where solutions are enacted.  Departments, professionals and Government representatives, including local Government, need to consider their advice or lack of, their own behaviour, adhere to their standards of conduct and act with integrity and honesty in practices; have no conflicts of interest and actively advocate on our behalf.

Even the wind industry itself admits to problems of noise, engineering design and maintenance i.e. lubrication problems and poor or incorrect installation or siting.  Section 5.1.1 of the draft New Zealand standard on wind farm noise, 2009, states:  “Limits for wind farm noise are required to provide protection against sleep disturbance and maintain reasonable residential amenity.”

THIS ABUSE AND TORTURE HAS GOT TO STOP NOW….. Too many of us, including children, handicapped and elders are physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted, too many of us are fed up, and too many of us are forced to live with preventable pain caused by operating or proposed industrial wind facilities.

Raising awareness starts by reading Professional and personal statements, you may begin here with responses made to the Australian Medical Association recent statement wrongly proclaiming no health effects from wind farms. http://waubrafoundation.org.au/resources/ama-statement-responses-concerned-professionals-citizens-impacted-residents/

Your written response to this letter, and URGENT action from you and your Department consistent with your legal, professional and ethical duties is urgently required.

Yours Sincerely,

Melissa Ware.
Concerned Resident.

p.s. Sound energy emissions are to be unleashed on nearby Residents of South Portland when Stage Four of Pacific Hydro’s Portland Wind Energy Project commences later this year well within the 2km. buffer zone.  Several schools, including the Portland Bay Specialist School shall be exposed to the cumulative impacts of this wind facility.