Esther Wrightman is appealing a decision to allow nearly 40 wind turbines in her Middlesex County neighbourhood, but she's up against the government and a multinational company.
The NextEra Energy project Wrightman is fighting is a site that is more than 6,000 hectares and takes up a large chunk of Adelaide Metcalfe bordering Townsend Line in the north and Napperton Road in the south.
“It surrounds a school; it surrounds homes and I wanted to bring in the evidence. I wanted them to see the issue that this project will pose on people,” Wrightman says.
A small group of anti-wind protesters are helping Wrightman in her crusade to prevent Middlesex from becoming home to large, industrial wind turbines.
They are concerned about the impact these turbines will have on bats, birds, cattle and their families.
“We knew this would be a problem for us,” says Sarah Hornblower.
Hornblower has seven children - three with autism.
She says the process treats animals better than kids.
“They can't have a voice in these because my son (with the most severe autism) is not an animal and that is so frustrating because he doesn't fit under the EPA (environmental protection).”
Wrightman wanted to demonstrate the negative impacts turbines have on health.
The hearing was scheduled to last five to six weeks, but with half of Wrightman's witnesses dismissed (and others’ time limited) due to constraints, the hearing will not last as long.
“It feels like the hearing is already lost. The testimony is lost because so many of my witnesses have been axed,” she says.
Some of Wrightman's supporters believe the decision has already been made.
“It will be dismissed and the turbines will go ahead,” says Marcelle Brooks. “But at least the ministry of the environment has been seen to go through the process.”
The tribunal will hear Wrightman's appeal over the next couple of weeks, but already Wrightman says the outcome is clear.
“I haven't been given a fair hearing, a fair chance at this hearing."
