Community furious over windfarm meeting fiasco in Busselton

A drop-in information session to discuss a proposed offshore windfarm project descended into chaos with the hosting government department seemingly unable to cope with the number of concerned community members who arrived. The Department of Climate Change Energy, Environment and Water session was hosted on Wednesday at the Busselton Youth Centre, which has a maximum occupancy of 130 people. The constraint meant a rapidly expanding queue stretched all the way round the building and down towards the foreshore. DCCEEW staff walked up and down explaining the situation to hundreds of frustrated community members keen to understand the project. “I think its fantastic, the turnout today shows that the community is passionate,” Cr Beecroft said. “People have the chance to express their opinion about this project. I think it looks like most people are opposed to this plan, and it has been interesting to hear some alternative ideas, some of which have merit.” Ziggy Wardle, from Busselton, attended the meeting with aspirations to hear other’s views and to ask a question about the impact the windfarm might have on whales. “I am pro-wind farm and wanted to attend to hear the views and concerns of others,” he said. “Only when you have a full picture can you form a proper opinion. “How disappointing to find that the venue had been set up with tables manned by organisations and departments only speaking with one or two at a time, there was no opportunity to hear the views of others in the community.” Andrew Wynne from Yallingup was also openly critical of the organisation of the drop-in session. “They are treating us as if we were fools. We are not fools, we are people who genuinely care about the environment and where we live,” he said. “Its deplorable that this drop-in session is the best method the Government can come up with to deliver public consultation on a project of this scale. “Look at the passion and the emotion that is on display here today. We are all voters, and the Government needs to wake up to that fact.”