Infrasound impacts from wind turbines in Queensland Great Dividing Range

Question

1. Can the Department inform the Committee whether it has assessed the potential impacts of low-frequency noise, infrasound and vibration from large modern wind turbines on threatened wildlife in Queensland Great Dividing Range ecosystems? 2. In particular, has the Department assessed whether infrasound and low-frequency acoustic energy may travel kilometres from turbine arrays through ridge, valley and inversion-prone terrain, and whether this could interfere with wildlife communication, navigation, mating behaviour or habitat use? 3. Has the Department considered species-specific risks for koalas, gliders, bats, owls, threatened birds and frogs, including the possibility that koala low-frequency bellows used in mating and social communication could be masked or disrupted by turbine-generated low-frequency noise? 4. Given that koalas have large auditory bullae and are known to use low-frequency vocal communication, what evidence has the Department relied upon to conclude that wind-turbine infrasound and low-frequency noise pose no material risk to koala behaviour, breeding or habitat occupancy? 5. Has the Department reviewed recent European scientific and technical work questioning whether conventional acoustic compliance methods adequately measure low-frequency and infrasonic acoustic energy from modern large turbines? 6. If no species-specific assessment or low-frequency/infrasound-specific monitoring has been required, on what scientific basis has the Department concluded that compliance with human acoustic standards is sufficient to protect threatened wildlife?

Answer

Please see the attached answer.

Documents

• Question with answer (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• SQ26-000625.pdf (opens in a new tab)