Australia commissions $3.3M study on health effects and wind farms.
Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has awarded two grants totaling $3.3 million to enrich the evidence-based understanding of the effects of wind farms on human health.
More specifically, NHMRC’s research at the Flinders University of South Australia will explore relationships between noise from wind farms and effects such as annoyances and reduced sleep and quality of life. Research at the University of New South Wales will investigate the broader social and environmental circumstances that may influence the health of people living near wind farms.
NHMRC CEO Professor Anne Kelso noted that further research is needed to explore the relationships between wind farms and human health. “To address this, we need well designed studies conducted by excellent researchers in Australian conditions,” he said.
The outcomes of this research will assist in developing policy and public health recommendations regarding wind turbine development and operations in Australia.
Professor Kelso said it was important to note that the funding will support only high quality, well designed research proposals. “NHMRC supports only the most outstanding research. Each application for this funding underwent the same stringent independent review process we apply to all NHMRC grant applications,” Professor Kelso said.
Information relating to the individual grants is available on the NHMRC website.
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