Met with concern: Narrogin land owners worry proposed windfarm’s meteorological mast poses aerial hazard

Landowners living near the site of the proposed Neoen Narrogin Windfarm have voiced concern about the risk they say a meteorological mast constructed on a property in Minigin poses to aviation safety. Rick Bee, Brian Lange and Steven Schultz presented their concerns about the proposed wind farm and the 150-metre-tall mast at last month’s Shire of Narrogin council meeting. “At the moment, our primary concern is safety,” Mr Lange said. “The tower is a danger because it is so high and so thin and difficult to see.” The mast on Cornwall Road meets the Shire of Narrogin’s planning requirements, including that the top third be painted in alternating colour bands and that markers be placed on outside guy wires. A flashing light during daylight hours and an additional light during non-daylight hours was also a condition of approval if required by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. The mast has a flashing light that can be seen at night but no light is visible during the day. A keen flier with an airstrip on his farm around six kilometres southwest of the mast, Mr Bee said that locating the mast while in the air was difficult. “I’ve flown around looking for it over there and I got quite scared, thinking ‘where is it?’,” he said. “I was flying back and forth and looking, looking, looking — it wasn’t evident and it did spook me. “Another light halfway up would help to get a fix on its position at night. “At present, it appears as just a light in the sky making it difficult to ascertain where it is.” Responding to the visibility concerns, a Neonen spokesperson said that the group welcomed input from locals with any specific concerns. “We have ensured that the meteorological (met) mast fully complies with the conditions outlined in its development approval,” they said. “We also proactively notified the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) earlier in the year to ensure they are aware of this infrastructure. “The 150m-high met mast is located at more than 5.5km distance from the local aerodrome.” The spokesperson said that the project team could be contacted on 1800 966 104 or at contact@narroginwindfarm.com.au