Guest commentary: Enough of the fear, aggression and division.

September 10, 2026

By Councillor Helen Hayden

I want to make something very clear.

I do NOT support threats, intimidation or aggressive behaviour towards any proponent, worker, landholder or member of our community - regardless of my personal views.

Everyone knows I have serious concerns about large-scale renewable energy developments. I will continue to question them, scrutinise them and speak up where I believe something isn't right.

But there is a line. Threatening, intimidating or making people fearful crosses it. Over the past two to three weeks I have become increasingly concerned about the aggressive rhetoric and media hype surrounding wind development in Oberon.

Those concerns are clearly not mine alone. An email has now been sent to Oberon Council, Councillors and relevant State and Federal representatives raising concerns about public safety, escalating rhetoric, physical blockade commentary of "A Call To Arms" and the deterioration of respectful community discourse.

That correspondence reflects many of the very things I have been witnessing and hearing about within our own community.

And quite frankly, I am sick of having community members come to me privately because they are frightened to express their own opinion. I should NOT have to reassure someone:

"It's okay. You're allowed to have that view."

Only to hear:

"But please don't tell anyone. I'm frightened of what might happen."

This is becoming far too common.

People have told me they are genuinely fearful of being targeted simply because they support, or are open-minded about, a proposal. What have we become if somebody is frightened to express an opinion in their own community?

You can oppose a wind farm.
You can protest peacefully.
You can challenge a developer.
You can write submissions.
You can question politicians and councillors.

But you DO NOT get to frighten or intimidate other people because they don't share your opinion and they are FEARFULL.

The people working on these projects are also human beings. Some live within our community and region. They have partners, children, parents, friends and colleagues. They deserve to go to work without feeling threatened.

Ask yourself a very simple question: How would you feel if that person was your son, daughter, husband, wife or friend simply doing their job? And what message are we now sending about Oberon?

We spend enormous effort promoting our beautiful area and encouraging visitors to come here, support our businesses and enjoy our villages and countryside. Yet we increasingly present a community consumed by signs, political angst, aggressive rhetoric and seemingly endless conflict.

People don't visit regional communities to become caught in somebody else's political war. That isn't the Oberon I know, and it isn't how I want our community portrayed.

Oberon Against Wind Towers (OAWT) is an activist lobby group. It is entitled to oppose these developments and campaign peacefully for its position. But OAWT does not speak for the entire Oberon community. There are people who oppose these projects. There are people who support them. There are people somewhere in between. And there are plenty of people who are simply sick and tired of the constant fear, fighting and division.

It's time for critical thinking.

Don't believe something simply because somebody posted it on Facebook or said it on the radio. Check the source. Read the actual planning documents. Separate one project from another. Question claims from both sides. And if your property, finances or legal rights are involved, obtain your own independent professional advice. Most importantly, remember that disagreement does not give anyone permission to attack another human being.

You don't have to like The Pines Proposal.

You don't have to support wind farms.

But it's time to pull your heads in when it comes to threats, intimidation and aggressive rhetoric.

Enough fear-mongering.
Enough hostility.
Enough dividing neighbour against neighbour.

Our community is better than this, or at least it SHOULD BE.

Oppose what you want to oppose - but do it peacefully, lawfully and respectfully without creating FEAR. It's time to bring some common sense, critical thinking and respect back into this debate.

Disclaimer: This is a personal opinion expressed by Councillor Hayden. Oberon Matters has no editorial opinion either way on the matter of wind towers near Oberon. This article is for public information only. Please see our position of total neutrality.

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