Article by James Willis, courtesy of The Daily Telegraph.
29.09.2025
Aerial support pilots are refusing to fly between giant net zero projects for fear of crashing into wind turbines, leaving volunteer fire crews worried they will be “sitting ducks” in a major blaze.
A report, handed to Yass Valley Council last week and peer reviewed by veteran members of the Rural Fire Service and experienced aviators, has also flagged “very serious fire management concerns” once hundreds of wind turbines and transmission lines are installed in the local area.
It warns the Yass Valley has “a history of major fires” occurring about every two-and-a-half years, and that “all of the proposed and approved wind turbine projects are to be located within historical bush fire areas”.
An experienced commercial pilot, who asked not to be named as he has been engaged by the Rural Fire Service to help with firefighting efforts, told The Daily Telegraph the size and location of new wind farms in Yass would make flying “nearly impossible”.
“No one is going to fly near them,” the pilot said.
“Your life is not worth risking just to put a fire out. If there are obstacles which hinder the efforts of air crew, we are not going to take extra risk. Ninety-nine per cent of pilots would just tell you to get stuffed.”
The pilot, who operates an Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft, carrying 3000 litres of firefighting retardant, said he had previously attempted to extinguish a fire from “about 100 foot” above the blaze, but this would be impossible when some turbines were almost 300m tall.
“If someone drops (from) above 300m – all the retardant, water, gel … whatever you’re dropping would just be p—ed into the wind,” the pilot claimed.
“It would be like spraying a squirty bottle at the fire.”
Yass Valley has more than 700 turbines either proposed, under construction or completed.
It is also part of the route of the new HumeLink – the 365km transmission line with towers as tall as pylons on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Retired Yass Valley RFS group captain Michael Gray, who authored the submission to the local council, told the Telegraph that with “a lot of these projects, if you look at the maps, the turbines are being built in cluster formations”.
“Which means instead of being built in a straight line, they are all over the place,” Mr Gray said.
“If you try and fly an aircraft, you might get between two of them but then run into the third one.”
Sam Weir, who has been a member of his local RFS brigade in Bookham for decades, said “helicopter and fixed wing support for us has been a game-changer”.
“But with the installation of these turbines, they won’t be getting down low enough to be effective,” he said.
“We will be sitting ducks on a bad day in a big fire.”
According to the NSW Department of Planning, wind turbines “do not pose a significant risk to firefighting activities”.
“Wind farm applicants must detail the operational procedures they will implement in a bushfire in the project’s emergency plan … such as shutting down turbines and positioning blades in a manner to minimise interference with aerial firefighting operations,” the department’s website reads.
Yass Valley Mayor Jasmin Jones described the report as “a dire warning that cannot be ignored”.
“I’ve led council in demanding an immediate halt to the rushed rollout of net zero,” she said.
“For the safety of our community, can someone in government please consider us?”
An RFS spokesperson told this masthead:
“When firefighters arrive at any incident, they undertake a dynamic risk assessment and develop an appropriate strategy, considering all natural and manmade factors.
“Wind turbines and associated renewable energy infrastructure are included in that assessment, just as any other hazard would be if it were near the fireground.
“Turbine towers are clearly identified for all pilots, allowing them to safely adjust their flight paths and operations. In addition, wind farms can and do shut down turbines as required to support firefighting operations, eliminating any potential turbulence.
“Fires near renewable energy infrastructure may require different tactics due to potential electrical hazards, but this does not prevent our firefighters from responding.”