The Tilt Renewables Rye Park Windfarm (NSW) has self-reported that their windmills have killed 20 Wedgetail Eagles in 18 months, as they are required to report.

The company “takes seriously” (the hackneyed phrase used by all people and organisations publicly exposed) any impact that their windmills have on the local environment, Tilt says - apart from the appearance-ruining of the environment by their unsightly windmills themselves, apparently.

The mouthpiece for the renewables industry Renew Economy, obstinately says that bird killing is a highly emotive issue “co-opted” by Australian politicians known for their “ideological hatred of renewables”.

They claim that the windmill deaths of Australian wildlife is “taken seriously” by governments, regulators and industry, but only a small number of wind projects have been ruled out by federal or state environment ministers. They can only name one, in Victoria, where a project was approved where ‘construction’ was paused for 5 months a year for the Brolga breeding season. But, what about after the construction is finished? Working windmills do the killing, not construction.

Safety measures have been “opted” (meaning it's a matter of choice) and there are IdentiFlight cameras which, it is claimed, detect birds and shut the windmills down. If these things work, Tilt Renewables didn't have them. And Reform came up with only two windfarms in Tasmania using them. As at 12 months ago, they were still being ‘tested’, to see if “protected birds” could be detected. Not any old birds.

Perhaps these cameras, claimed to be the bees knees in the U.S where they come from, will also be “opted”. Currently, AI names only the two Tasmanian sites as having them.