Culcairn Solar Farm

The EPA has responsibilities for pollution control and environmental management for scheduled activities under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act). Based on the information provided the proposed activity is not scheduled under the POEO Act and the solar farm will not require an Environment Protection Licence. Greater Hume Shire Council will be the appropriate regulatory authority for matters relating to the POEO Act for this development.

On this basis the EPA has no comment to make in relation to the Environmental Impact Statement and requires no further consultation on this proposal. If you have any further enquiries about this matter please contact Craig Bretherton by telephoning 02 6969 0700 or by electronic mail at [email protected].

There is extraordinary passion in the Culcairn Farming community about not loosing "Good" agricultural land to a Solar Farm.
However the argument is more to do with neibours not wishing to have the Solar farm next door.
Roseworthy farm, the site proposed for the solar farm is not good cropping country, it is grazing country, which in recent years has been cropped. The addition of the solar panels does not negate the running of livestock, in fact they are needed for weed control under the panels. In my opinion that 'loss' of agricultural land is mute.
My second point is that the solar infrastructure is removeable once the farm runs its natural life and the land will still be there regardless of what is being run or grown on it and it can be resown for grazing once the panels are removed. My understanding is that the panel columns are driven, not concreted in, so there will be no lasting, or difficult remedial action required at the end of the project. Rural Austraila, Culacirn in this instance will benefit from jobs, both in construction and ongoing operations and that surely is sorely needed.
Regardless of ones personal beliefs regarding climate change, fossil fuels are finite. Renewable energy is needed and its a fact of life. We had best all get used to this reality and someone is always going to be unhappy if its built next door.

The Culcairn Solar farm would greatly benefit the community with jobs and local businesses being part of the construction. The idea of a community benefits fund too would boost what can be done in the towns of Walla and Culcairn.

Culcairn and its surrounds are farming lands, and while I am not apposed to the building of a renewable energy source in and of itself, I do question the decision to take up a large area of farming space with solar panels.

You are all aware to a large percentage of this country is desert right? why not place the solar farm there instead of right in the middle of Australia's food production area?

This project is slated for prime farming land, why do we need to this when other land is available in areas that do not have the production of this land. Taking away prime land for farming is nuts!! Where will the food come from if we continue to do this, it is also close to a wetland area and will surely impact on nature in the area let alone fire risk so close to the townships of Walla & Culcairn.
There must be more suitable areas away from towns, wetlands and on land that is not suitable for farming.

As a community member, I have been listening to both sides of this debate and would comment;
- based on the assumption of improving community sustainability, climate change and continuing community demand for power (electricity) , all levels of government MUST work to allow the efficient development of solar power generation.
- the proposed Culcairn solar farm will have some impact on visual amenity - all development does. Broadacre farming has changed the landscape in the last 150 years. However the impact is much overstated by those opposing this development. The negative impact from a distance will not be what is claimed. Notwithstanding, any approval (if given) must take into account strategies to minimize impact as is reasonably possible.
- The development will have positive impacts ion terms of employment and economic activity, and for this reason will be a benefit to the broader community.
- I feel that the decision needs to be made with reference to the arguments being made supported by reasonable facts, however must ignore all of the emotional debate which is, in many cases, cannot be supported by facts.
- widespread adoption of solar is occurring around the world and needs to be accepted. Governments must step up and make decisions about developments based on the good of the community and meeting the whole range of community expectations.b

We need all the prime agriculture country we can get as we are losing it all the time, and if we don't keep it we will not be able to feed our future generations. Max

I strongly object to this solar farm, there are many reasons as to why this project will have negative consequences to the area. My main concerns are for the impact on our strong agricultural businesses and our local environment. The benefits of solar on this level have hardly been proven as being effective, and the benefits are yet to be seen. Please consider the importance of local people, farmers, businesses, animals. Without farmers in particular we would be seriously lacking. Let's support Aussies and encourage them to use the land in a way that is most beneficial. Please do not destroy our farming and and agricultural businesses. When did the goals of this country change? Why can't things be about the people, the little people who built this country, those who stand firm for their beliefs and their local community. Those who make an honest living on the land... Those are the people I will always trust.

I object to this project (Culcairn Solar Farm) on the grounds that it is being built on highly productive agricultural land and such projects could be equally as successful if built in more marginal and less productive areas. My concerns include the flow on negative effects to neighbouring farms and businesses, serious fire hazard due to lack of accessibility and build up of weeds & grasses, loss of wildlife and habitat, removal of trees, close proximity to townships and the Gas Pumping Station & pipelines, close proximity to the BIllabong Creek with concerns of pollution, loss of reliable cropping and grazing land, damage to local roads causing traffic concerns and a very ugly visual impact.

this is being put on productive agriculture land
high risk of fire
damage the environment
the visual impact of the prime country
the local roads and traffic will not handle this project

We need more solar energy. We are always habing issues with power grids not keeping up to demand. Solar farms dont hurt anyone dont impact on the environment around them.

It’d be foolish for the government to overlook such a project. With the current pressure to make change due to the climate situation, here is the perfect opportunity to implement appropriate action.

To let any other reason get in the way of the project would be incoherent and narrow minded.

I completely object to large scale solar farming on productive farming land. I am not opposed renewable energy at all just cannot see any sense in ruining perfectly good productive farming land for a project that could be placed on non productive farming land. The Government should be taking a long term view and considering the long term impact for Australia if they choose to tie up productive farming land for renewable energy projects.

the project is a proven way to produce electricity for many years to come
it,s distance from where the electricity will be used is going to make it more reliable e.g. recent fires and storms have caused outages in large areas
it has an important feature in that it will be grazed by sheep etc.

This is such a wonderful opportunity for this small region! I look forward to seeing the community of Culcairn thrive.

I support this project, this infrastructure is vital to the ongoing environmental development of NSW.

I am a long term Walla Walla resident my family have resided and farmed in the Walla Walla district for 5 generations and I support the solar farm.
When i was growing up our town had a range of businesses including supermarket, cafe, clothes shops, baker, butchers 3 mechanic shops, 2 car dealerships plus many others, in our sporting organisations we were able to field 3 senior and 3 junior cricket teams,a golf club, 4 football teams as well as netball and tennis teams now we struggle to fill 2 cricket teams and no juniors our football teams are no more after having to merge with others just to have a game, our butcher and bakery clothes shops have gone as well as other businesses. The primary school which had enrolment of about 120 students is hovering at about 40 pupils. Farming in this area has like most agricultural areas and has undertaken a lot of change with smaller family farms been taken over and merged with neighbours meaning less population to service the towns. We have many projects in the town to be completed including the walking track to Gum Swamp, the sports ground pavilion needs funding to be completed, the swimming pool needs to be upgraded, the kids of the town are campaigning for a skate park, a new committee has been formed to get the grain silo's painted, i would like to see the former railway track upgraded to a bike and walking track and with little revenue to complete them competition for grant money is very competitive and difficult to come by given we live in a safe LNP seat.
The energy landscape is changing as rapidly as our climate is, coal fired powered stations need to be shutdown and we need to embrace new clean renewable energy and we need it now. Our town is a great little community but it is need of a economic boost to get things moving again the drought is biting very hard and the town is in need of revival, we need people to move to our town and join our clubs and send their kids to our schools.
I do feel for those who adjoin the solar farm with the landscape changing but given the mitigations that will be put in place through the vegetation buffer zones i think this will only be temporary thing for the next few year while the vegetation grows, these buffer zones will bring untold benefits to our local wildlife providing wonderful and much needed habitat especially on that site where there is none. Also i struggle to see how this project can impact on the neighbours ability to breed sheep, cattle and grow grain.Thanks for yur time and good luck.

Proposed Culcairn Solar Farm SSD-10288

I am property holder in the vicinity of the proposed Culcairn Solar Farm in the Greater Hume Shire of New South Wales. My concerns regarding the proposed development follow. The concerns are not listed in order of importance as I believe all are of major significance.
• The use of valuable, productive and fertile farming land. The food production of the land is of major importance as the climatic changes occurring in this country reduce the ability of widespread agriculture in other areas, both crops and livestock, to provide for the future supply of food. Drought conditions in regional areas make productive farming land an invaluable asset to the national economy.
• The removal of any natural vegetation directly impacts the biodiversity of the region.
• The heat generated by the Solar Farm creates an increased cost to farmers affecting their livestock, such as water requirements, as well as drying the surrounding environment.
• The risk of fire which may be uncontrollable due to the structures in place supporting the panels is a danger to the region as access would be limited.
• The visual impact on the rural environment affects land values in the immediate area.
• My property is a ‘lifestyle block’ of two hundred and fifty acres which is located at the intersection of Benambra Road and Weeamera Road in the Greater Hume Shire. The proposed Solar Farm will reduce the value and salability of the property.
• My property is a source of income and the Solar Farm adversely affects future financial plans for my family.
• Initially I was not consulted about the proposed development as other property holders were as there is not a dwelling on the site at present. Consideration for consultation was given to properties with dwellings but I consider the production value of any surrounding land to be of equal importance to farm residences. That value may be from agricultural activities or businesses which also rely on income generated from the land.
• The area under consideration for the development of a Solar Farm lies on a main connecting road between two rural towns and caters for large numbers of traffic both farming and services.
• The companies developing such sites will earn significant profits over time but appear to do so with little expenditure on their part in relation to long term income. Unproductive land is available in outlying areas where companies will have to spend more to establish the projects. The income generated by renewable energy sites away from productive agricultural areas will still earn the profits they desire in the future.
• Farming communities and companies rely on agriculture as their livelihood which has a flow on effect for the food production of this country. Rural towns rely on the farming sector, retail, government services and education for example, and will be affected by the proposed development. It is extremely rare that this area does not produce significant amounts of grain and other produce annually.

I am one of the host landholders for the proposed Culcairn solar farm. Obviously my opinion is not going to carry much weight due to this, however i wish to point out a few things that need to be said.
The benefits of this project locally are significant. At a local level it is going to drive the struggling economy of the greater hume shire during the build phase as well as the operational life of the project. This will occur through direct employment as well as the community benefits and the VPA that has been outlined in the EIS. Along with still being able to turn off some agricultural produce through the grazing of sheep there will still be some money spent in the agricultural sector of the shire. The two towns in close proximity of the development will undoubtedly get a boost from the project. They are in need of some economic stimulus to combat the drought and other negative factors in the area.
Further to the economics of the proposal the environmental benefits will in my mind have just as much impact locally. The growing of vegetation screening and the improvement to wildlife habitat and the reduction in chemical use can only be seen as an absolute positive by anyone that cares for the environment.
Also the importance of reducing carbon emmisions and the reliance on coal cannot be understated. Having been involved first hand with the terrible fires that have occurred throughout the country over a long and protracted period it is hard to deny something is changing.

Interestingly the tactics which have been adopted by the people who are against the project has been nothing short of disgraceful. I have been subjected to being called names and had my character brought into question on numerous occasions and also accused of using my position on council for my own benefit . I was also asked to resign by the company i work for as some of the opposition threatened to no longer deal with the company if i was still employed by them.

In closing I believe that this project has covered all of the requirements of the development application and environmental assessment that are required and in most instances surpassed them. Further to that it is my land and I firmly believe that I should be able to do anything on that land which is legal and fits in with the planning framework. I hope that this application will be assessed with common sense, science and economics in mind rather than all of the emotional and non fact based arguments against the projects.

As a local resident of the Greater Hume Shire, I fully support the development of solar farms in my region. I am particularly in favour of the job opportunities the projects will provide the region and the environmental benefits of solar farms nationally.