Proposed Workers' Camp Threatens 79-Year-Old Astronomer's Observatory in Kingaroy, Queensland

James Barclay has been studying the sky for the best part of seven decades. But the 79-year-old astronomer says a temporary workers' camp proposed to be built next door would put his observatory in the Queensland town of Kingaroy at risk of closure. "If this camp goes ahead, the lighting alone will be enough to close this observatory down," Dr Barclay said.

UK-based energy company Renewable Energy Systems (RES) plans to build temporary housing for up to 424 workers for the construction of its proposed Tarong West Wind Farm near the small town of Kumbia. Construction on the $1.5 billion project is expected to begin later this year after it received approval by the federal government. Once complete, it could produce enough energy to power 230,000 homes annually.

The proposed camp needed to house the workers is yet to be approved by the South Burnett Regional Council. While the accommodation would be a $68 million investment in the town, many Kingaroy residents have voiced opposition to the project.

Camp in wrong area, residents say

The opponents, including Dr Barclay, have said the proposed accommodation, about 40 kilometres from the wind farm, was too far from the project and the area was zoned for community facilities. Neighbouring resident Grant Arell built his home 15 years ago, and his property boundary would sit about 110 metres from the proposed accommodation. Mr Arrell said he never expected to be next to a large accommodation facility and agreed it should be built closer to the wind farm. "It's not what we signed up for," he said.

The proposed camp will be made up of 106 four-bedroom demountable accommodation units, an industrial canteen, a gym, a recreation room, an administration building and enough car parking for every worker.

The South Burnett Regional Council said developer RES initially investigated sites closer to the wind farm, but issues with water supply and road suitability led the council to suggest the aerodrome site in its discussions last year. "Council's objective in this offer was to ease the burden on and concerns of the Kumbia community," a spokesperson said.

In its application to the council, RES said while the proposal did not fit within current zoning for community use, the legacy infrastructure like plumbing and car parking would make the development appropriate.

Opposition despite investment

While most of the $68 million investment would go towards housing, RES said $20 million would flow to local businesses during the life of the accommodation project. The company said housing was limited across the region with only about 100 rooms available to workers during the proposed construction. RES said it would use existing accommodation, but significantly more was needed. "Significant additional capacity is still required," an RES spokesperson said.

South Burnett Regional Council said in a statement that the application was being assessed while in the public notification phase, with residents invited to lodge submissions up to the August 7 deadline. It said all accommodation would be removed once the wind farm was built.

Despite this, Karen Bjelke-Petersen, who runs accommodation nearby, said she feared the development could affect the area's appeal. "Whether I lived close or not, I can't see any advantage to it being here."

For Dr Barclay, the fight was far from over. "While I've got two legs in the vertical, I won't go away," he said.