Focus

White Rock Wind Farm is seeking expressions of interest from community representatives to serve on the Community Consultative Committee.

The Community Consultative Committee (CCC) provides an important forum for open discussion between representatives of White Rock Wind Farm, the local and nearby communities, local councils and other interested stakeholders. It provides a way for the Project Team to give regular updates on wind farm activities, invite discussion and pro-actively respond to any questions or concerns of the community.

The CCC would like to increase the number of community representatives currently on the committee and is looking for local volunteers to join the group. Meetings are held on a weekday every 2-3 months in Glen Innes. Final appointment of the representatives will be made by the NSW Department for Planning and Environment.

The closing date for expressions of interest is 20th November 2015. Interested members of the community should contact WRWF on info@whiterockwindfarm.com, call 1800 859660 or write to WRWF, Level 23, 201 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW 2000.

Throughout the development of the project a Community Consultative Committee has regularly met in Glen Innes. The CCC currently has a Chair, two representatives from the local community, two representatives from host landowners and a Council representative from each of Glen Innes Severn and Inverell Shire Councils.

The CCC has been crucial in ensuring positive engagement between the local community and the project owners, allowing the Project Team to remain closely connected with community views.

Ideally, community representatives should be able to provide feedback to their local community and associated stakeholder groups. They should be willing to contribute constructively to the committee and be able to meet on a regular basis (every 2-3 months). The CCC will give preference to volunteers who currently reside in the local area and/or those with good awareness of local and other relevant matters.

Steve Toms, Chair of the Committee said “White Rock Wind Farm is a significant development for the area and the committee plays a critical role in representing the interests of the community potentially affected by this development.”

Further guidance on the operation of a CCC can be found in the Draft NSW Planning Guidelines for Wind Farms (Dec 2011) available on the Department’s website http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au. Previous minutes of the CCC can be found on www.whiterockwindfarm.com.