Monaro landholders and residents are being urged to attend a community meeting next week where photomontages of the proposed Coonerang wind turbines will be presented.

The meeting is being organised by REAL Monaro (Renewable Energy and Landscape for Monaro). The group said the photomontages will show a more accurate picture of the scale of the wind turbines, proposed to be 270 metres tall, and how they will alter the Monaro landscape.

REAL Monaro said the proposed turbines will dominate the landscape and threaten the heritage and cultural values the Monaro plains is renowned for.

The meeting is on Tuesday, 9 December at the Alpine Hotel Cooma from 5.45pm. Independently prepared photomontages will be on show for residents to view.

This will be the first community meeting about the proposed Coonerang Wind Farm since REAL Monaro presented a report earlier this year, detailing what the environmental, cultural and heritage values of the central Monaro plains.

The photomontages will show the community what the proposed Coonerang Wind turbines will look like from Cooma itself, and approaching Cooma from Canberra and other directions.

“People who live in Cooma and surrounds will be able to see how the turbines will dominate their views, many who will see them from their homes,” Jim Litchfield, member of REAL Monaro Inc, said.

“With a height of 270 metres, as high as the tallest building in Sydney, we think the community will be shocked to see how dominant they will be.

“There are more than 145 rural community groups that are taking a stand and fighting against wind companies and the government riding rough shod over them and trying to force these projects on communities that simply don’t want them; no matter how much money is thrown at them.

“There is no social licence for this proposed project, with little community support,” he said.