A 40-hectare property in southern NSW could host a new solar farm. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
About a dozen speakers have urged a NSW panel to reject a proposed solar farm that they say will leave a small community “absolutely destroyed”.
Earlier this year, EDPR Renewables Australia lodged plans with Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) for the project, which would see about 10,800 solar panels built near Ballalaba, about 30 km south-west of Braidwood.
If approved, a 2.9-metre-high battery energy storage system (BESS), vegetation and other infrastructure will be built across the 14-hectare site.
In a recent public meeting with the Southern NSW Planning Panel, community members outlined concerns about the site’s suitability.
One speaker said the chosen site along Wallaces Gap Road was “simply not the right place” for the proposal.
“The panels will track directly towards us and will be visible from 11 windows of our house,” he said.
“My neighbour … will have an unobstructed view of the entire site from his living room – [that was] rated as negligible impact and facetiously described as a new point of interest.”
Another speaker said while community meetings were held, at least one was held before a site was locked in.
He claimed this was held up as proof of genuine consultation with residents, and said the company didn’t engage with them about site-specific concerns.
“I have in my hand three stat decs from the closest neighbours, and also a declaration witnessed and signed by three other neighbours, outlining, among other things, that at no time prior to the lodgement of the DA were they contacted by EDPR or their representatives to engage in consultation on the proposal at this specific site.”
Along with urging the panel to consider site selection, visual amenity impacts, road network suitability, bushfire risk and concerns about harm to Aboriginal heritage, he called on it to put “substantial weight” on what he saw as a lack of engagement.
“It was not being consulted about a solar farm and battery installation on a particular property … You cannot meaningfully consult a community about the impact of a development when that community does not yet know where that development is going to be.”
Concerns about road access were echoed by another nearby resident, who pointed to the “blind” corner at Wallaces Gap and Cooma roads that firetrucks would navigate in an emergency.
“It’s not often maintained now by council with the potholes and corrugations, so the extra traffic is just going to be an extra on the council to maintain.
“And who pays for the extra maintenance due to the increased traffic?”
The council joined calls for the project to be abandoned.
A QPRC spokesperson said staff held concerns that an Aboriginal heritage assessment had “not been undertaken adequately” and pointed to an investigation by the Batemans Bay Aboriginal Land Council that “further work” was needed on the matter.
The spokesperson said important “known trails and travel routes”, as well as potential songlines, were located on the site.
“In short, council feels the information has not been provided to allow us to [fully complete] the assessment required. Therefore the recommendation is for refusal.”
Several First Nations people addressed the panel, raising concerns over environmental damage and what they saw as a lack of engagement in measures to protect Aboriginal archaeological sites.
One speaker said the proposal would harm a “special place for me” and his culture, and also brought no benefits to nearby residents.
“Taking that land for industrial use is a step too far … You should not allow this to happen,” he said.
“This power plant will change the nature and character of this landscape for an extended period of my lifetime.”
Another speaker claimed there had been a “total lack of respect and regard” shown towards Aboriginal heritage.
He also said that no mitigation measures would fix issues around the visual impacts.
“The majestic views he [a friend’s property] now enjoys … [and] the peace and tranquillity of this beautiful rural area will be destroyed – absolutely destroyed – by the placement of thousands of solar panels and associated infrastructure,” he said.
Associate Professor at Flinders University and principal of heritage and archaeology at GML Heritage Tim Owen had assessed the proposal.
He said further assessments around Aboriginal heritage and archaeology could be included in the conditions of consent, if the project was approved.
“At a larger scale, doing an ACHAR [Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report] and identifying large-scale aspects – such as travelling routes and songlines through this whole region – would be of significant benefit … [and] facilitate the Aboriginal community being able to identify, conserve and present their heritage and also transmit it to future generations.”
Another man, speaking on behalf of the applicant, sought to reassure community concerns around the risk of fire from the project.
“These batteries are sealed 40-foot containers. They have a fire suppression system built into them … They are monitored second by second.
“We have a full, 24-hour control room to monitor the systems. If there was any warming or anything of the cells, we would know that almost instantly – that would be reported to us and we’d escalate that.”
He said that other arrangements were assessed, but the proposed layout was the most suitable for the chosen site.
“Some of those sites were closer into town and are much more visually apparent … [It was determined] these were not going to be suitable from a visual impact perspective.”
A project coordinator also said a revised traffic plan would see 20-metre articulated vehicles (rather than B-doubles) used during construction, while more vegetation would be planted on the eastern edge of the development to shield it from view.
The Southern Regional Planning Panel is expected to hand down its decision early this month.
