When Neville and Gladys Franz walk outside of their peaceful rural Queensland home, they look up at Australia's tallest wind turbines.
The structures, measuring 247 metres from base to tip, are part of the 83-turbine Wambo Wind Farm near Diamondy, 280 kilometres north-west of Brisbane.
"When you look out of your home, they're the first thing that you see," Mr Franz said.
"When you see these things all the way around you, it's not so good."
They're significantly higher than the nation's first turbines built in 1987, which stood 30m high, at Salmon Beach Wind Farm near Esperance in Western Australia.
Australia's tallest wind turbines, at the Wambo Wind Farm in southern Queensland, are 247 metres high. (ABC News)
Seven machines have already been installed near the Franz family's fence line, and with another five to be erected, they will be on all four sides of their property.
It's not the retirement they envisioned, having left their farm near Caboolture 21 years ago for a more peaceful lifestyle, and they're worried about the visual and noise impacts.
"We came to this area with the idea of settling down and retiring and have a lifestyle that suited us, which [was to] look down the paddock and see your cattle and see a nice outlook," Mr Franz said.
Mr Franz and his wife Gladys moved to Diamondy 21 years ago. (ABC Rural: Brandon Long)
During the developer's consultation phase, the couple declined to host the turbines on their property.
However, their neighbours agreed to have them installed, and their locations are perfectly legal — erected just outside of the state's minimum setback distance of 1.5km from a dwelling.
Increasing debate
As wind turbines become taller — proposals near Biloela in Queensland and the Blue Mountains in New South Wales have flagged 300m-high structures — there is increasing debate about whether setbacks should be bumped up to reduce their potential impact.
Wambo Wind Farm said it was required to meet stringent noise requirements set out in the development approval conditions and once the wind farm commenced, acoustic experts would measure and report on the noise levels.
"Should noise from Wambo Wind Farm exceed the approval limits, the project will immediately implement measures to bring noise levels back to within the approved limits,"
a spokesperson said.
Construction crews are on-site raising the steel structures. (ABC Rural: Brandon Long)
The project, a joint venture between Cubico and Queensland government-owned Stanwell, will play a key role in Australia's efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Most of the public also appears to be on board with wind according to a 2023 CSIRO survey, which found about 80 per cent of Australians in capital cities would "approve" or at least "tolerate" living near a wind farm, dropping to 70 per cent for those living out of town.
However, the Franz family, living at ground zero, is calling on the government to implement a 3km setback for all future turbines.
The couple's son Glenn and daughter-in-law Kathleen are joint partners in the farm.
Glenn said while they were not "anti-renewable", turbines should be sited with more consideration for surrounding residents.
"There's got to be a lot more consideration given to the non-host neighbours," Glenn said.
"It's certainly divided the community."
'Fairly noisy'
David Greenup, a grazier who neighbours the fully operational Coopers Gap Wind Farm to the east near Cooranga North, believes a 2km to 3km setback would be more appropriate.
Coopers Gap near Cooranga North is one of Queensland's largest operational wind farms. (ABC Rural: Brandon Long)
"Depending on the wind direction, it can be fairly noisy," Mr Greenup said.
"Our closest house to the wind farm is 1.5km to the closest tower. That house gets fairly impacted."
The site features smaller, 180m-tall turbines.
Operator Tilt Renewables was contacted for comment but did not reply by deadline.
Queensland farming lobby group AgForce echoed the landholders' concerns, also advocating for a "significant" increase in the state's minimum setback distance.
Chief executive officer Michael Guerin said the current regulations were designed when turbines were much smaller.
Michael Guerin is calling for an increase to the setback distance between turbines and dwellings. (ABC News: Christopher Gillette)
"None of this has been adequately thought through," Mr Guerin said.
Wind industry
The industry argues longer setbacks are not necessary because larger turbines are more efficient and cost effective, and technology has helped minimise noise.
Chris O'Keefe, spokesperson at national renewable energy lobby group Clean Energy Council (CEC) said current setback distances were adequate and provided certainty for developers, and longer setbacks would not work.
"We just don't think it would work at all," Mr O'Keefe said.
"Investment is being dished out as a result of those rules and any changes to those, we would have concerns with."
State by state rules
In Australia, setback distances vary by state.
In Queensland, the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning determines setback distances.
A department spokesperson said it would continue to consult with local government, communities and industry as the next phase of reforms are implemented to ensure local communities and councils "are given the rights to ensure their voices and concerns are addressed".
In Victoria, turbines must be at least 1km from a dwelling, while in Western Australia, the recommended distance is 1.5km.
New South Wales uses a sliding scale based on turbine height, equating to a 1.5km setback for a 240m turbine.
Review may be warranted
The Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner (AEIC), who independently oversees renewables and reports to the Commonwealth, says taller turbines may require longer setbacks.
On the AEIC website, the commissioner recommends a default setback distance of 1.5km for turbines with a tip height of up to 200m.
For tip heights greater than 200m, "a longer setback distance may be more appropriate to accommodate increased visual amenity impacts".
Regarding noise, the commissioner states, "Improvements in turbine design have mitigated the noise effects" and "noise contours have not materially changed" for these larger turbines.
One of the most recent turbine health studies in Australia was led by Peter Catcheside, professor at the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University.
Peter Catcheside is a sleep and respiratory physiologist. (Supplied: Flinders Foundation)
The 2016-2021 study found noise effects from wind turbines were "pretty small", though he acknowledged, "it's a sensible concern as the machines get bigger", and further listening tests might be warranted.
Mr Franz's property will soon be encircled by 12, 247m-high wind turbines. (ABC Rural: Brandon Long)
While a change of rules could be too late for the Franz and Greenup families, they hope distances are changed for future generations' amenity.
"I hope our government that we've got in power now really sit down and have a look at this, because it's probably something you don't want anyone else to go through," Glenn Franz said.
