Orange Grove Solar Farm

I object to the Orange Grove Solar Farm.
The project will result in unmitigated flood risks that i dont believe
have been adequately addressed.
The site area proposed is subject to flooding.
I believe the security could have an impact on redirecting flood
waters and impacting property around the solar farm and downstream.
I do not believe the flood risks have been adequately addressed by the
project.
Further assessments need to be completed with respect to increased
flood levels and distribution flow.

I object to this application based on concerns that there has not be
enough consultation or research into the impact of this type of
development on flood plain and potential impact to the environment and
water supply.
I support further research into more appropriate sustainable energy
production.
Much appreciated

The global issues of climate change and food security means that
productive farming country needs to be out of bounds for uses such as
generation of power, as the land is far more effectively used to
produce food for our increasing population, as well as simultaneously
building and storing carbon to help combat climate change. In essence,
there are better locations for the solar farms than on prime
agricultural land.

The fact that the building up of carbon levels in the soil is the most
effective way of reducing C02 globally means that productive farming
country needs to be out of bounds for solar farms as it is far more
effective to be used to produce food for our increasing population as
well as at the same time building and storing carbon to help combat
climate change which more than cancels out the benefits of that land
hosting a solar farm.

I am concerned with this proposal because although I appreciate that an
assessment has been made of traffic movements, I consider both the
Orange Grove Road and the Old Blue Vale Road unsuitable for the size
and frequency of the traffic expected to use them during the
development phase of this project.
These are just small neighbourhood roads. The widest would be the
sealed section of the Orange Grove Road, which although paved has no
central markings, and although two vehicles certainly can pass by each
other, very often you see a car putting a wheel on the shoulder
because the road does not seem very wide. This would happen much more
often with an approaching truck, and most trucks would not move over
in any case.
The Old Blue Vale Road is hazardous at the best of times. The single
lane of bitumen gives no choice but to move off the pavement to pass
an oncoming vehicle. The shoulders are rough and care must be taken at
all times.
Then the last 5kms or so of the Orange Grove Road approaching the
proposed site is just gravel. In the current season it is even dustier
than usual. Visibility to overtake a slow moving vehicle is
non-existent, and the dust floats away from the road in a long cloud,
settling in homes close to the road.
I am concerned for the difficulty of locals going about their daily
business when faced with large semis regularly on these roads. The
risks will increase dramatically of broken windscreens, damaged tyres,
and worse. And the increased risk is also to schoolchildren getting on
and off buses, and to the general population who are breathing the
dust and running their cars off the pavement.
Could I suggest that the proponents be asked to consider building a
bridge across the Namoi very close to the farm, where the traffic
could very quickly access the highway which is on the southern side of
the river? This would be a very simple fix, which would leave the
community with a very real benefit from this development.

I am at a loss to understand how placing a critical piece of
infrastructure in a flood plain and alienating productive agricultural
land in favour of large scale industry is good planning practice. Site
selection seems to have been based solely on spare capacity in the
adjacent transmission lines and favourable topography.

I contend that the imperative to achieve the government's strategic
solar objectives does not balance these fundamentally negative
planning outcomes. I fail to see how any number of mitigation
strategies to manage the lesser impacts can outweigh this fundamental
planning flaw and therefore wish to place on record that I am
vehemently opposed to these developments.

I am writing as a frequent visitor to R1 and close family friend of R1
residents.

I would ask you to please carefully consider the application of
Overland to develop the proposed land on either side of Orange Grove
Road.

The terminology of `sun farm' is entirely misleading, solar power
stations have nothing to do with farming and with looking after the
land on which they are placed.

I understand that the land is zoned RU1 for primary production. We
should be guarding and cherishing our existing richly productive
agricultural lands. The Liverpool Plains being one of the most
productive in NSW.

The construction of a large scale solar power station will immediately
repurpose the land and the surrounding farms from rural agricultural
to industrial power station. Not only will a solar power station be
rendering the land on which it is built useless for any other purpose
than providing the soil for the structures placement, it will also
irrevocably impact on surrounding farms, disturbing this rich
agricultural and quiet permanence; Part of our agricultural heritage
that we must all look after. I believe that landowners and especially
the closest neighbours, R1, will be negatively impacted, both visually
and environmentally. The sensory interference, prevailing EMF, glare,
sound, and reflections, are potentially damaging beyond measure. The
R1 residents will most likely experience negative health impacts and
their farm will be devalued. These are impacts that normally should
not be faced by our primary producers.

The relative infancy of this emerging technology in Australia, together
with the pace at which solar farms are being rolled-out means that a
lot of the impacts are unknown. Until more is known, solar farms are
best put in more isolated places, then make more informed decisions
before putting them in places like the Orange Grove Rd.

How can such huge areas of fertile land be locked away for generations
when we need to protect our good land for producing food now that
populations are going to explode and there won't be enough to eat?

I am writing to object to the proposed Orange Grove Solar Farm. My family
have known the residents of R1 for 3 generations and we often went
there together as a family. I personally have spent quite a bit of
time on the property over the years and have very fond memories of
herding and shearing sheep, fencing, as well as the beautiful view
from the mountain to the back of the property.

I believe this project would be detrimental to the property of R1 as
well as the heath and lively hood of its residents, and their animals.
I don't see why the project needs to be built on prime agricultural
land or in such close proximity to established residents. I don't
believe the appropriate steps have been taken to properly consult the
community or the surrounding properties as it will significantly
reduce the value of the property, nor do I believe that enough care
has been taken to understand the impact it will have on the residents
of the property or the long term effect it will have on their live
stock and hence the residents livelihood.

I am a family friend of one of the neighbouring properties to the Orange
Grove Solar Farm development.

I object to this development.

Food security is going to be the next major challenge for our world as
we head toward a population boom as well as the current issue of
climate change. Farming country needs to be out of bounds for solar
farms as it is far more effective to be used to produce food for our
increasing population as well as at the same time building and storing
carbon to help combat climate change which more than cancels out the
benefits of that land hosting a solar farm.

In such a fast-moving area of technology, backed by government funds
and big business investment, where there is so much expectation and
hope, we can't afford to lose sight of the bigger environmental
picture. We don't yet understand the extent of the implications of the
change in land-use and the problems involved.

I would suggest that until more is known about the impacts of solar
farms, solar farms be located in areas which do not place peoples'
existing lives and businesses at risk....located in areas that does
not produce food...located in areas which are non-productive, of which
there is abundance in this country.

I wish to register my objection to the Orange Grove Solar Farm on the
basis that there are unmitigated flood risks as a result of the
project which have not been addressed by the project developer.
As pointed out by the SMEC study of 2003, flooding occurs on average
every 4 years. The study shows the proposed site is subject to
flooding. The company's proposed perimeter security fence may have an
undesirable impacting redirecting flood waters that may negatively
impact surrounding property and residents around the solar farm and
downstream.
The environmental assessment of the OGS farm site is inadequate. The
site layout on Figure 2 of the EIS, which includes drainage features,
shows the location location of the swale/creek, but fails to address
the swelling of this watercourse during major flooding. With climate
change accelerating, future major rain/flood events may increase in
frequency and severity.
Clearly the Orange Grove Farm site is susceptible to major flooding
and hence further assessments need to be completed with respect of
flows, increases in flood levels and changes to velocities, as
required by the Draft Floodplain Management Plan or the Upper Namoi
Valley Floodplain.
Projects such as this are vital but must satisfy the community as to
their safety and the adequacy of the projects environmental planning.

I am writing in objection to this proposed development. I am very
familiar with R1 area. There is a fire risk and toxic emissions if
this project doesn't create space and larger buffer zones for a public
road and nearby nearby farmers with animals. I object to orange grove
solar farm being placed within meters of homes and koala habitats.
Thousands of panels and an energy storage station that is still not
explained in detail placed near homes and animals is a risk in areas
of bushfires and lightning strikes. There is no guarantee for safety.

I object to Orange grove solar farm creating negative socio economic
local impacts with two solar farms proposed in one small area is
because of the proximity to the grid over the river. It does not have
to be on agricultural land nor two . Overland has 330000 panels and
Gunnedah solar farm over 400000 . The people and land value close by,
apart from the leasing farmers to solar consequentially will suffer
from this. Additionally this area is well known for it's Koalas and I
believe they will be at severe risk of danger if the solar farm were
to go ahead.

I object to the Orange Grove Solar Farm, as I believe there has been very
limited community consultation and that there is a real prominent
flood issue which has been disregarded in the EIS report to suggest
the impact from flooding to surrounding landholder to be minimal.
I believe that the report on flood water has been inadequately put
together and has not showed true representation of flood water and the
effects the solar farm will have on landholders surrounding the solar
farm when a flood occurs.
In the EIS the site layout figure 2 shows creeks/swales which become
effected by flood water. The report does not report on how the site
handles this water when they become swollen from flooding.
Also there is a real danger caused by the security fencing. This fence
will hold up debree and flood water effecting surrounding landholders
and changing the way water flows. In the report there is no scientific
data showing how this fence will alter the flood water which passes
through it.
The reasons stated above is why I object to the Orange grove solar
development.

I am objecting to the Orange Groves Sun Farm due to the fact that
inadequate details regarding flooding have been provided. The SMEC
shows that flooding occurs in the area that the solar farm is
proposed, however the proponent has not discussed downstream effects
from their proposed infrastructure. More work is required to be done
in this area for the proposal to proceed.

I strongly object to the Orange Grove Solar Farm as I believe there has
been minimal community interaction and there is a flood zone that has
been over looked. The impact of the flood zone on the community and
land holders is much greater then outlined in the EIS. For this reason
I object to Orange Grove solar development

I object to the Orange Grove Solar farm on the basis that there are
unmitigated flood risks as a result of the project which have not
adequately been addressed by the proponent.

Because the Orange Grove Sun Farm site is often affected by flooding,
it is essential that further assessments need to adequately review and
understand the effects of flooding in the area as it relates to the
distribution of flows, increases in flood levels and changes to
velocities, this is under the instruction of the Draft Floodplain
Management Plan for the Upper Namoi Valley Floodplain.

I object to the Orange Grove Solar Farm on the basis that there is a
flood risk. The layout on figure two of EIS doesn't address the size
of the water course in the event of a major flooding. Due to this I
feel more research needs to be undertaken before this project can
proceed.

I am writing to object to the proposed Orange Grove Solar Farm. We have
been acquainted with this property ,R1 and family for many years(at
least 3 generations).
I think it is devastating and absolutely wrong that this prime
agricultural land R1,is under threat to be used as solar farms. It is
detrimental to the health of not only the residents, but animals and
their livelihood. If proper measures had been undertaken to research
and consult the community then this land would not be being considered
and the long term effects of such a farm in an area that for years has
supplied food source to so many. This land is too valuable as for many
years it has produced much needed food supplies and the Solar farm
could be placed on land that is not prime agricultural land.

I object to the Orange Grove Solar farm on the basis that there are
unmitigated flood risks as a result of the project which have not
adequately been addressed by the proponent.

The potential area is often subject to flooding, as shown in the SMEC
study in 2003. The security fence around the perimeter that has been
proposed will most likely impact the direction of any future flood
waters, this will negatively impact the surrounding properties and
community. Further assessment is need to be completed with respect to
the distribution of flows, increases in flood levels and changes to
velocities, as required by the Draft Floodplain Management Plan for
the Upper Namoi Valley Floodplain.

I object to the Orange Grove Solar farm on the basis that there are
unmitigated flood risks as a result of the project which have not
adequately been addressed by the proponent.

I am concerned in particular about the site area being in a flood zone
and the issues that the proposed security fence may have on negatively
impacting residents surrounding the solar farm from redirected flood
waters. Therefore I believe because the
Orange Grove Sun Farm site is affected by flooding, further
assessments need to be completed with respect to the distribution of
flows, increases in flood levels and changes to velocities, as
required by the Draft Floodplain Management Plan for the Upper Namoi
Valley Floodplain