Tuesday, May 31, 2011

A Note to Dan Tehan MP

The correspondence from Origin Energy gave Mr Rogered an idea.

So Mr Rogered fired off this email to Dan Tehan, the local Federal Member for Wannon (We have met with Dan on gas plant matters previously and found him to be a genuine fellow. This email will hopefully jog his memory)

Hello Dan,

we last corresponded in regards to the noise from the Woodside now Origin energy gas plant at Port Campbell.

Well, as ever, nothing has come of this. Our amenity is still massively impacted from this noise-polluting monstrosity that is unaccountably visible from the Great Ocean Road.

In desperation we have gone public with our battle and have started a blog which can be found here:
http://twelveapostleswhatagas.blogspot.com/

Correspondence from Origin Energy

In response to Mrs Rogered's email (see earlier blog: Mrs Rogered sends and email to Origin Energy) we've had a phone call from Origin Energy about noise from the gas plant near to Victoria's Great Ocean Road. Mr Rogered has been informed that Origin Energy is willing to investigate ways to eliminate noise at the Rogereds' home. There was no word on what the noise eliminating buffer will be - perhaps a belt of trees on an adjoining paddock as a screen between the Rogereds' home and the Woodside cum Origin Energy plant - but this will doubtless open up a very long time line. We will consider taking bets that nothing is done before Christmas 2022. Sorry, that's a typo. Should read 2019.  No, my fault again, that's meant to read 2012.

Origin Energy also made it clear, keeping in mind this is before any noise eliminating work is done at the Woodside cum Origin Energy gas plant or even any ideas put forward, that Mr Rogered would be asked to sign a legal document advising that Mr and Mrs Rogered will no longer make noise complaints. Mr Rogered has always thought signing his life away a most interesting concept.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Twelve Apostles's Dawn

It's a beautiful morning near the Twelve Apostles on Victoria's Great Ocean Road. The bright blue sky goes brilliantly with the red sky of dusk last night.

Of course, some of us here on the Great Ocean Road have to deal with the industrial droning of the Woodside cum Origin Energy gas plant that was built within sight of the ocean road, one of Victoria's premier tourism attractions.

Some people might tell you industrialism goes well with a pristine coastline and the Port Campbell National Park. But here's a tip for tourists: don't believe them. Even heard a story about a tourist van that followed the lights from the great ocean road to the gas plant - they probably thought the gas plant was a town so bright are its lights. How disappointed they must have been to have found industrialisation on this great south-west Victorian coastline.

If the EPA or anyone were interested in regulating noise from the self-policing gas plants they would know that this is Mr amd Mrs Rogered's billionth noise complaint for 2010-2011.

A Beautiful 12 Apostles' Evening

The sky is blue and tinged with the first of red from the setting sun. There is no wind. The 12 Apostles will be beautiful at sunset tonight. But it's not beautiful at our place. The gas plants (the Woodside cum Origin Energy plant is the worst offender) that can be seen from the Great Ocean Road are roaring away, polluting this perfect evening with their industrail droning.

Of course a sensible person might call the Environmental Protection Agency to complain. But we've got four years worth of emails to them. They once not so long ago told us they need to record excessive noise levels three times in one month before they can make a successful prosecution about noise.

The EPA have never once tested here three times in a month. We invested a lot of faith in the EPA and they have let us down horribly.

But back to that perfect evening. If the tourists at the 12 Apostles are really lucky they might be able to photograph the flame from one of the gas plants that permanently lights up the evening sky. Glows a fine shade of orange.

If the EPA or the Corangamite Shire or Woodside-Origin, anyone who supposedly should have a professional interest, were at all interested they would know this is our 70-odd complaint for 2010-2011 season of noise.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Mrs Rogered sends an email to Origin Energy

Morning of Friday 20th May.

As i was woken with a huge blast of noise and a totally lite up house this morning at 6.25am i had to ponder about your gas plant again as we have for the past 6 years, I could not tell you how many times i am raged with anger to even think about the hours i have wasted angonising over our disrupted life in relation to that disgusting monstrosity that is in our backyard.

 I have heard your gas plant all week throughout the day and in the night - I am sick of all the excuses made and guarantees that all these supposed millions of dollars that have been spend by you to try to eliminate the noise that we hear - great!

We still hear the gas plant and the minute i go and stand behind the shed the noise is mind shatteringly clear. We sent a letter to you in December last year (2010) , we had a meeting with you a couple of months later and only when we have again contacted you and asked for a reply did we finally get one - clearly this letter was a major priority for you as is the care you put into your immediate neighbors, 6 months is a disgustingly long time for someone to have to await an answer on a major issue in their lives - and that answer as far as i am concerned is a load of corporate bullshit.

I am sick of the gas plant, sick of the way we are treated, the lack of respect we are given and mostly about your lousy excuses for noise improvement plans.

I will start with enlisting who ever i can to band with me in my fight with Origin Energy. I will do it as publically and as loud as i can, i will reach out to anyone that will listen to me. Our life is still being impacted by the gas plant and the noise that you create, regardless of what you think or whether you care.


OH IF WE COULD ALL HAVE A GAS PLANT IN OUR BACKYARD.