5 August 2024

ACT still in dark on Wallaroo solar farm concerns

| Ian Bushnell
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render of solar farm

The ACT has ongoing concerns about environmental damage, bushfire risk, noise impacts on border housing and traffic management. Image: Wallaroo Solar Farm.

ACT Government concerns about the Wallaroo solar farm development just across the NSW border appear to have languished for years and have still not been addressed.

An Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate (EPSDD) submission to the NSW Independent Planning Commission assessing the project dated 31 July lists concerns about potential environmental damage, noise impacts on border suburbs, bushfire risk and roads and traffic management that have been repeatedly raised since 2020.

EPSDD told the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure in June 2024 that the draft conditions of approval for the project had not adequately covered possible impacts on the adjacent Jarramlee Nature Reserve and the key role that ACT RFS and ACT Fire & Rescue would play in any emergency response to the site.

It called for extra conditions to be placed on the proponent, including a 10-metre vegetation buffer between the solar farm and the reserve before the start of the battery storage facility, and for ACT RFS and ACT Fire & Rescue to be included as main stakeholders for all emergency and fire-related matters.

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In the new submission, EPSDD complained that the response from NSW about the risk to Jarramlee had been limited to visual impacts only.

“EPSDD is of the view that a buffer of scattered vegetation planting as suggested by the applicant would provide some protection but may not provide sufficient mitigation for potential indirect impacts,” it says.

A buffer would “significantly strengthen the protection of the reserve and its values”.

EPSDD also reiterated that ACT emergency services needed to be consulted, given ACT RFS and ACT Fire and Rescue would be the first responders to any incident.

NSW Department of Planning and Environment was told in June 2023 that the site was within a kilometre of the ACT built-up area and about a kilometre from a cluster of rural residential properties along Wallaroo Road.

“This space is sufficient to allow a fire originating from the proposal to develop full rate of spread and intensity with limited warning,” EPSDD said.

“As such, robust controls through construction and operation will be required to manage the risk of bushfire ignition.”

It urged no-work days in total fire bans and for the proponent to consider how the battery units could be safeguarded on high-fire risk days by limiting their use and risk of thermal runaway or another failure.

EPSDD also said the 40,000-litre water tank was insufficient, urging a rethink of the amount of water required according to ACT and NSW fire agency requirements and how it would be refilled in drought conditions.

In June 2024, the ACT EPA was worried about contaminated water run-off during firefighting into Ginninderry Creek and the Murrumbidgee River and sought more information about how this would be managed (for example, with a retention pond).

The ACT agency also wanted the noise assessment in the EIS upgraded. The compliance points were in Dunlop and Macgregor at existing residences but the Ginninderry future high-density urban area will be less than 300 metres from the proposed solar farm.

It told the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure that noise levels on the ACT/NSW border would need to comply with a noise zone limit of 45/35 dB when the project started operating.

The proposal will also require certain road upgrades to handle construction, but it has been a year since Transport Canberra and City Services (TCCS) was consulted about the Barton Highway/Wallaroo Road intersection.

The submission to the panel says the applicant must assess the state of local roads to be impacted and prepare a Traffic Management Plan in consultation with Transport for NSW, Yass Valley Council, and Transport Canberra and City Services.

The ACT Government has come under fire for allegedly taking a soft line with the solar farm proposal, but a spokesperson said it had been involved since 2020 and throughout out the EIS process.

It also urged continued consultation between the proponent and ACT residents, including more measures to reduce visual impacts.

The spokesperson said the NSW planning process should address and seek to mitigate any impacts on surrounding landholders as much as possible.

“These important projects must achieve an appropriate social licence to operate, including through thorough consultation processes,” the spokesperson said.

“The ACT will continue to work with the NSW Government to support the best planning and energy investment outcomes for the Canberra region.”

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The spokesperson played down concerns about the project’s negative impact on wine tourism.

“In broad terms, a solar farm would have less impact on the Canberra region wine industry than a small modular nuclear reactor, a coal-fired power station or a gas-powered generator,” the spokesperson said.

Fears about property values in Macgregor and Dunlop have also been raised. Some have cited Dutch research that solar farms there have had a negative impact on house prices and that Dunlop homeowners could suffer an average $20,000 hit, more for those closest to the project.

The spokesperson dismissed these concerns.

“It is difficult to confirm if such comparisons can be made with the Australian residential market,” the spokesperson said.

“Given long-term growth trends in the Australian housing market, it is difficult to see how any price fall related to a solar farm would be sustained.”

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Incidental Tourist6:36 pm 06 Aug 24

As expected no comments from Greens. Is anybody surprised that ACT Greens have lost interest in the Environment matters close to ACT?

AKA “We don’t care about the local residents and their property prices that will be directly impacted”.

Given the current median price for a house in Canberra, there might be a 2% short term hit for some people by some estimates.

What a pity.

Would you like all change stopped in case anyone else suffers any temporary degradation of their property value for any reason?

Do you realise that if demand is inelastic then a reduction in one place is merely relative to a broader increase elsewhere?

Yeah, estimates and guesswork don’t really cut it.

This is somebody making huge profits from the direct impact to other people, both financial and otherwise. It also doesn’t even meet the most basic of NSW planning laws. The proponents of the solar farm are attempting to exploit a loophole, because the built up areas they are too close to are on the other side of an invisible state border.

Ken M exactly right on all counts.

I accept that the planning jurisdiction issue is problematic, Ken M, but the questions I discussed were longer term price impacts and viability of change.

However, if you wish to stand so firmly on the issue of a planning loophole then you will be fully supportive of the same farm moved a few Km further away? Are you also declaring your opposition to profit? Really, you are turning into quite the communist.

Michael M, exactly wrong on your only count.

If it is moved to where it doesn’t impact other people financially or damage the asthetic of a residential area, I have no issue at all with it. I doubt most people care otherwise. They don’t want to look out their window and see a big, ugly solar farm where a nice view used yo be, and lose money on their investment for the privilege.

NIMBY

To what return are people entitled on their home?

Any “nice view” can be built out with no recourse, as it ever was. Howl at some other moon.

Well, for a start, it’s not my back yard or anywhere near me. But people are entitled to not have the value of their homes damaged by somebody building an eyesore next door. Most planning law revolves around that.

Can I build a drag strip and an abbatoir next to your house that you’d be happy with? Or are you a hypocrite?

My area is zoned residential, remarkably enough. A drag strip would fail noise law. Solar panels are silent, and pretty common around these parts. Likewise, abattoirs woul fail noise, smell and congestion near private or public buildings.

You have no response to my question.

You have no response to my comment that a nice view can be built out without recourse. Basically, you are entitled to a bit of northerly sunshine. Do you love every house you see?

I have noted already the cross-border rules problem.

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