Suddenly its gone quiet. Too quiet.

There is a possibility, that I was mistaken. Yes, I know hard to believe.

In this post two days ago, I claimed that there had been no monitoring of frost fans by the Council except for an abortive (and embarrassing) debacle about two years ago and one earlier this year for which the results had not even been published.

A small bird has told me that the results HAVE now been published. I have yet to have a copy hand delivered, but I understand there is something in there that will come as a bit of a shock.

You might want to sit down.

Both fans measured were found to be non-compliant with the District plan.

I know, I know, it came as a shock to me too.

Surely the growers were taking great pains to make sure they were protecting the environment and their neighbours?

Surely the frost fan installers (I presume that this was FMR as I understand that they are Amarillo fans) were professional in making sure their clients weren't exposed to breaching the District rules?

Wait! I know what's happened! By some amazing fluke they have selected the only two non-compliant frost fans in the district. Curse their bad luck!

Apparently there's still more (trust me, I'm still reeling). Both fans apparently exhibited special audible characteristics (tonality and impulsiveness), which make them particularly annoying.

Wow! That's not the best is it?

I suppose it could have been worse, there could have been someone (perhaps even a family) living next door who had been there for many years before the grapes were planted and the fans put in. This family could in theory be 100m away from these fans. Boy, it's lucky that's not the case and that they didn't measure the noise outside their house!

Hang on. There IS a family living next door who had these fans planted 100m away from them?

And the noise was measured at 74dBA L10?

Wait a minute, that can't be right. That level of noise is the same as having an un-silenced wood chipper running outside your bedroom. Surely they would complain? Oh they did? Years ago? and the Council wrung their hands for how long?

So now they're going to do something right?

Right?

Meeting 1:30pm Monday in the Council chambers. Item 1. Frost fans.