Bellambi Heights Battery Energy Storage System

Please refer to the attachment.

Dear Megan Ramsdale, Contact Planner
I object to the Bellambi Heights BESS (SSD-33344237)

I object to the Bellambi Heights BESS because:
1. It uses batteries that are manufactured in China, the world's highest emitter of greenhouse gases, currently about 30% of all human generated emissions. The project therefore will also be a significant contributor to greenhouse gases not a reducer as claimed by the developer.

2. It uses batteries that are manufactured in China, which utilises cobalt and copper derived from the slave labour used to mine these minerals in unregulated, dangerous and human degrading artisan mines.

3. It will further increase the risks of devastating grass and bushfires, which we are frequent observers here in Gulgong and the surrounding areas. We do not have the regional emergency resources to tie up for days, as it takes about four days to burn out just one battery unit let alone several. Using our scarce fire-fighting and other emergency services for just one battery fire in a BESS will leave us vulnerable to nearby out of control grass fires, putting our properties, animals (domestic and our wildlife) and us in serious danger.

4. We already have the 18km2 Stubbo Solar Works under construction not far from town and it also has a BESS to add to the cumulatively increased risks of fires and contamination of our land, air and water from solar panel, inverter, battery, sub-station, transmission lines, etc. fires. At 6kms from town it would take less than 30 minutes for an out-of-control fire with a 12km/h front to reach our town. That was the speed of the Leadville-Dunedoo fire of February 2017, which was so devastating.

Please reject this proposed Bellambi Heights BESS.

Regards
Concerned Gulgong resident

Huge cost and no benefit.

Not recyclable, toxic waste. Materials for BESS likely derived from slave labour.

The only benefit will be for the developer - profit derived from mining government subsidies.

Have the nearby residents and the local RFS been made aware of the fire risk due to thermal runaway? Large scale battery fires are common, this hazard is inherent in the technology.

Are you simply adding to the fire risk and toxic waste already generated at Gulgong?

A great waste of money, much of it from Australia taxpayers. Not green and not clean.

Environmentally disastrous - simply toxic waste.

This is a toxic fire hazard that will benefit only the foreign owned developer.

I object to this battery energy storage system on a number of grounds, the most important is that food producing agricultural land is being lost to this project and due to the high contamination risk may never again be able to be used for anything at all. Instead costing tax payers and electrical consumer to clean the site (if even possible) in the future at enormous cost, this cost must be weighed up against any perceived benefit.
Any loss of agricultural land is serious but the compounding impact of this project is particularly concerning. Food security is of more importance than energy as it is the most basic human requirement, this seems to be somehow forgotten but that does not change the fact.
Possible contamination via toxic fumes for neighbours and animals is also a high risk, with any fire burning for days releasing toxins for kms and also causing further soil contamination.
Please do not approve this project.

27 September 2023

RE: BELLAMBI HEIGHTS BESS

I am writing in support of the above project.

I believe this proposed battery storage will form an important link in the development of renewable energy.

The increase in solar and wind projects is exciting progress for a sustainable future. It does however have the potential to create challenges for our electricity network.

Battery storage will form an important link, helping the network cope with fluctuations in demand and supply as we move towards a clean energy solution.

I am proud to be part of a community committed to renewable energy and a more sustainable future.

Submission objecting to the Bellambi Heights BESS Project being granted a planning permit or in any way proceeding to construction.
From Bellambi Heights BESS website. In the supporting statement as to why the Bellambi Height BESS is required it is said.
“The intermittent nature of wind and solar resources creates the need for ‘back-up’ capacity to support any supply gaps”.
This statement alone clearly sets out. That by their intermittent and unreliable nature of electricity production, (because of an unreliable supply of ‘weather’ fuel). Solar farms and Wind farms, should never be considered as an economic or dependable electricity generator for supplying base load electricity to a modern electricity grid. To add a BESS to the mix, does not produce one MWh of power and only increases the price to the end user. High prices do as much damage to economies as shortages of supply.
To explain why Solar panels will never be economic. Solar panels are powered by a weather fuel, Sunshine. At 12am, every day, the Solar fuel tank is empty and will remain empty for the next seven to eight hours, until the Sun rises at 7am or 8am. If the weather is fine there may be six hours of viable fuel (10am to 4pm) and a further three hours (8.30am to 10am and 4pm to 5.30pm) of less viable fuel available. For a total of nine hours of fuel availability. But even this is very uncertain, because of the presence of fog, overcast cloud cover and rain, the fuel tank can suddenly become empty at any time. The amount of fuel available may be reduced to four hours or even on many Winter days, zero, with no electricity being produced. Beginning between 5pm and 6pm, the Solar fuel tank becomes empty and remains empty for the next fourteen or fifteen hours. This means the fuel tank that supply the solar panels is empty for a minimum of fifteen hours of everyday and could even be empty for the whole day, with no electricity being produced.
As for connecting the Bellambi Heights BESS into the Grid. Batteries alone can never produce any electricity. Batteries only take in surplus electricity and then release less than they take out. Therefor batteries are inefficient in storing electricity. As a Solar Farm has daily supply of fuel for only 40% of the day to generate electricity, the likelihood of there being a surplus to store is very uncertain and does not justify the cost of having the batteries. And will only increases the cost to the consumer.
I believe it would be highly irresponsible to grant a planning permit or allow construction of the BESS Project, as rather than being able to make a positive contribution to the Grid, its inclusion would be totally negative and uneconomic.
Further points of objection.
1. Consisting of so much compact electrification, the Bellambi Heights BESS will create an extreme fire hazard to surrounding areas, particularly on a Total Fire Ban Day with the temperature at 43dC and a NW wind blowing at 50km/hr. Being so tightly packed together it would almost be impossible to contain a fire started within the Bellambi Heights BESS perimeter. The fact that burning Lithium batteries give off a very toxic smoke, fighting the fire would be very dangerous for fire fighters. The surrounding land owners should be very concerned about their welfare.
2. If a fire was to occur the risk of soil contamination, would be very great. With unknown consequences.
3. If it should be approved to be built, then it should be mandated that the Bellambi Heights BESS have a Public Liability policy to cover fire and other possible damage to surrounding areas of at least $500million to $1billion.
4. Unless the Bellambi Heights BESS puts up a restoration bond, there will be nothing stopping them from walking away and leaving the local Council and community with a very expensive noxious, Junkheap, that will desecrate the whole area.
For the above reasons I strongly believe the Bellambi Heights BESS should definitely not be granted a planning permit or proceed to construction.

The project is close various family dwellings including dwellings cited as 8, 9,10,11,23,40, 56,62,72 and 75. Most are within a 2km boundary. The visual impact to the dwellings is unacceptable. The applicant's EIS keep minimising the visual impact of the project. This cannot be minimised by any viable means and shoulkd not be permitted on the location. Such projects should be located where there is no visual impact or where they are at least 4 km away from residences.
The project is located on prime agricultural land which should be preserved for agriculture.
The risk of fire hazard in the event of infrastructure failure, Can the proponent hold insurance for surrounding properties for possible fire damage as as result of this project.

Too close to a small historical rural town. Negative impact on tourism.
Possible water contamination if there is a leak of chemicals from the infrastructure. The project is less than 500m from a river that drains into Burrendong Dam, a major water source.

No consultation with surrounding homeowners, no compensation to visually impacted homes.
Wire chain will impact movement of native animals that live in the area, animals include kangaroos and wallabies to name a few.
No contribution to development of area eg no offer to tar the dust road (Pugoon road) that they may use.
These projects should be installed at least 20 km from town , to offer residents a chance to escape if there is a fire within the project site.
There is no plausible and environmental friendly decommissioning plan.

I live in Gulgong with my family and love looking over the paddocks. But I won't be able to do that if this project is approved. Disrupting the beauty of the country leaves me heartbroken. This project will increase the fire risk to Gulgong, which is already underwhelming. A wild bushfire would impact all of Gulgong, and the process of construction increases the risk of fire. Another problem with the project is the location. It will occupy prime land that can be used for agriculture. Many people in Gulgong rely on farming as a living; this living would be threatened for years. Such a disruption to the land would take generations to recover from. The harmful emissions from the project, especially greenhouse gases, will enter our atmosphere and contribute to environmental destruction. Given that this project has numerous negative effects, I know you'll make the right choice for the Gulgong community and stop this project.

I object :
- due to lack of valid and timely research in BESS lifecycles and its impact on resources.
- It is a health risk both to fire fighters and residents due to the inability to fight fire around them, causing fire to spread which is bad for Australia as an unfought fire has potential to turn into Blakc Friday and the Sir Ivan Fires. These fires can cause explosions and the spreading of toxic chemicals and materials.
- The BESS requries rare earth materials and metals, which requrie slave labour for mining, more mining which causes more scaring to the land so does the same as coal mining, and also poisons the land and water, and therefore people.
- These batteries have short lives and are not a viable storage method, and would only cause damage to the environment around and adversely impact the scenic nature of Australia and cause more problems then fix any so called ‘energy’ problems.
- They consume more electricity then able to deliver causing a role on effect of more ‘renewable’ energy sources to built which can never catch up to each others causing constant money strain on tax payers and rising costs, along with ruining more and more of our land, while paying foreign companies and investors millions of dollars from our government and our money.
- All materials will need to be transported hundreds of kilometres using tons of fuel and causing more emissions, more road damage and more congestion that is unwanted.

I am worried about FIRE.
Please make sure the project can fight its own fires. Town Brigades and Bush fire brigades were not established to deal with battery fires.
The smoke is toxic, and the water runoff is toxic.

I object to the whole program to connect unreliable energy sources the grid and the use of batteries to overcome the gaps in supply Three major reasons.
I. The combination of wind droughts and lack of grid-scale storage means that we cannot reply on RE and we will have to keep burning coal until we have nuclear power.
2. The cost will be prohibitive, especially if tens of billions are wasted rewiring the nation,
3. Wind and solar power are not green, they have a heavier footprint than conventional power if you consider the life-cycle from mining to ultimate disposal of the toxic junk.
For support for those points: https://www.flickerpower.com/index.php/search/categories/general/list-of-briefing-notes
This project adds no value, it is a waste of money, it encroaches on farmland and it poses a potential fire hazard.

Hello,
Please refer to attached submission.
Regards,
Allan Sercombe

This project should never be approved, these battery storage systems a very dangerous and are a huge risk to rural communities. I am worried about all the energy projects that are being approved, but battery projects are a big worry because they can explode and kill anyone that lives close to the project not just from the explosion, but also the toxic smoke it will produce.

I will never support this project, I do not agree with renewable projects destroying small communities like mine. This project should never be approved

I object to this project because I have relatives that live nearby to this project and I am worried about their safety if this project goes ahead. There is currently a battery storage project burning in QLD and it is producing highly toxic smoke that could kill people and poison their water for long periods of time. I will never support this project

I will never support such dangerous energy infrastructure to be constructed on fire-prone agricultural land. Current legislation is recklessly ignoring the risk to community and landholders. This project should never be approved

I am writing to object to this project. I have been made aware the negative impact these projects are having on the mental health and well-being of people in this area. There is great concern about the potential for fire and major disaster from such projects, this concern has put undue stress on community members. This project should not go ahead until proper consultation and assessment of community well-being has taken place. No projects relating to renewable energy infrastructure should go ahead while there is a review on the consultation process with communities.

The fire danger is too great
OP 1.2.22 - OPERATIONAL PROTOCOL FOR INCIDENTS INVOLVING PHOTOVOLTAIC (SOLAR) ARRAYS AND BATTERY ELECTRIC STORAGE SYSTEMS
Firefighting in and around large scale solar installations
› Firefighting activities will not occur within 8m of any generation infrastructure (such as panels, batteries, or transmission infrastructure), or by accessing a fenced-off area, without explicit assurance from the facility manager of de-energisation of the infrastructure.
› Procedures for fires within large scale installations will be managed in the same way as fires in other electrical infrastructure such as substations, and in accordance with the facility emergency management plan.
› Large scale solar facilities threatened by bush fires are triaged and defended in the same way as other significant infrastructure.
› Fires involving BESS (Battery Electrical Storage System) multiple appliances are likely to be required unless there is reticulated water on site. Gulgong does not have the appliances to fight a major bushfire.
› The presence of hazardous materials involved in the incident is to be reported to FRNSW.
Tesla lithium battery fire hits ‘landmark’ Queensland energy project, sparking political debate
Bouldercombe residents told to stay indoors as fire crews take advice from Tesla to allow the fire to burn out, which may take several days. The fire has been contained, and crews will remain on site after being advised by Tesla to allow the fire to burn out, while residents have been urged to stay indoors to avoid the hazardous smoke.
Nationals senator Matt Canavan was quick to jump on the fire as a reason to discredit renewables, writing online: “A Tesla battery is on fire near Rockhampton and crews have been told not to put it out. Our new energy grid is worse than our old energy grid.”