Just 80 of the Blayney Shire's 6,600 residents showed up to a town meeting to discuss the proposed $200 million Flyers Creek wind farm project last Monday night.
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A majority of the 80 people in attendance were opposed to the wind farm because they live in close proximity to where it will operate.
Tensions were rife in the Blayney High School hall as opponents lashed out at the council, meeting facilitator, the developer and those in support of the proposal.
Twelve minutes into the meeting, one community member interrupted the facilitator and said he was opposed to the idea of breaking up into smaller groups to discuss the proposal.
"Can we dispense with the small groups? We haven't done that since we were 13," the man told facilitator Graham Collier.
Opponents then proceeded to question why the developer, Infigen Energy, had been given 15 minutes to speak while a visiting anti-wind farm Upper Lachlan councilor had only been given five minutes speaking time.
"Where's the democracy there? That's not democracy - that's a violation of our human rights," opponents chanted.
When Infigen Energy's senior development manager Jonathan Upson was speaking, the crowd repeatedly interrupted him to raise a number of their concerns.
At one point, Mayor Bruce Kingham had to intervene and call on the audience to stop interrupting Mr Upson.
One man in support of the wind farm rose to speak and described opponents as a small minority who should not be able to strongly influence whether or not the wind farm proceeds.
"I just feel like we've been lied to and nobody cares," one woman opposed to the wind farm said.
The meeting was held to help Blayney Shire Council develop its submission on the proposal, which will be sent to the Department of Planning next month.
"It is in the hands of the department of planning, Blayney Shire Council will not be assessing the development application," Mayor Bruce Kingham said.
"Staff are reporting what is said tonight, reported back to councilors at out next meeting in December 12," he told the meeting.
In his address to the meeting, Mr Upson said wind turbines were not new or dangerous and had been operating without any major problems around the world for years.
Twelve minutes into the meeting, one community member interrupted the facilitator and said he was opposed to the idea of breaking up into smaller groups to discuss the proposal.
"Can we dispense with the small groups? We haven't done that since we were 13," the man told facilitator Graham Collier.
Opponents then proceeded to question why the developer, Infigen Energy, had been given 15 minutes to speak while a visiting anti-wind farm Upper Lachlan councillor had only been given five minutes speaking time.
"Where's the democracy there? That's not democracy - that's a violation of our human rights," opponents chanted.
When Infigen Energy's senior development manager Jonathan Upson was speaking, the crowd repeatedly interrupted him to raise a number of their concerns.
At one point, Mayor Bruce Kingham had to intervene and call on the audience to stop interrupting Mr Upson.
One man in support of the wind farm rose to speak and described opponents as a small minority who should not be able to strongly influence whether or not the wind farm proceeds.
"I just feel like we've been lied to and nobody cares," one woman opposed to the wind farm said.
The meeting was held to help Blayney Shire Council develop its submission on the proposal, which will be sent to the Department of Planning next month.
"It is in the hands of the department of planning, Blayney Shire Council will not be assessing the development application," Mayor Bruce Kingham said.
"Staff are reporting what is said tonight, reported back to councilors at out next meeting in December 12," he told the meeting.
In his address to the meeting, Mr Upson said wind turbines were not new or dangerous and had been operating without any major problems around the world for years.
