Every summer we all dread that first whiff of smoke or the CFA siren that signals the beginning of the next act in the life and death drama that is bushfire. Perhaps ironically it is the comradeship borne of our common experience of fire that helps to bind us into the strong, caring community that we have been and could continue to be.

     The irony is in the fact that some of those along side whom we have suffered and fought have now decided to dramatically increase our exposure to bushfire. They have permitted Transfield Corp, a huge, faceless development company to place up to 150 huge wind turbines amongst our homes. However there is little irony in the fact that they, Transfield Corp, our state politicians and municipal leaders for most part live or plan to live safely out of the area.

     Experience in Australia and around the world clearly demonstrates that wind turbines cause fires. At Lake Bonney in South Australia, in Spain and America-  wherever there are wind turbines there are fires. The difference between those other places & Tooborac is that much of our neighborhood is at much greater risk of serious wildfire.

     A large part of the range over which the planned wind farms will be sited is covered by the Mitchell Shire, Wildfire Overlay. This means that given the right conditions our neighborhood could suffer a devastating, unstoppable bushfire of the type recently seen in the Grampians. The difference between that tragedy and the one which could envelop us is our much greater population density. There are many more homes in the Tooborac, Heathcote area than there were in the Grampians. In the event of wildfire many more people and homes are at risk of destruction than were in the Grampians.

    And the reason we will be forced to take this risk? The contribution to the reduction of green house gases by the mooted Tooborac wind farm will be miniscule. In fact if everyone in the state changed just one of their lightbulbs to a low energy type more energy would be saved by that than from the entire planned Tooborac wind farm.

     We are advised that litigation could be launched by aggrieved neighbors against adjacent landholders for damage to their properties or persons by a fire caused by a turbine on the landholder’s property.

     We need your help to prevent the destruction of our properties by an uncaring or ignorant minority. Money is needed to widen our public information campaign. If you can help, contact us at the addresses detailed on the contacts page of this web-site.