Bellambi Heights Battery Energy Storage System

My comments and submission are attached.

I attach my comments and submission.

I am very concerned that there is 72 residences within 4km of the site and it is visible from Gulgong township at a distance of 6.5km.
The guidelines for renewable energy projects specify that cumulative impacts must be minimised. Yet the stated aim of the Bellambi Heights BESS is to "support and enable new renewable energy projects" in an area already burdened with many existing and proposed developments.
Lithium batteries have a problem with spontaneous combustion. Specialised equipment and training is needed to fight these fires..An escaping fire puts both immediate residents and the residents of Gulgong township at risk, particularly as the site is to the north west of Gulgong.
the risks of these batteries is frightening, Increased fire risk / toxic smoke hazard . thermal runaway, hydrofluoric acid, cyanide and other gases that can explode upon ignition, these chemicals can be absorbed by breathing and the skin
Once completed there will be no employment opportunities for local people.
There is no bond system for the eventual decommissioning and rehabilitation of the site. This is dependent on a 'guarantee' given by whoever owns the project at the time.
restoring our agricultural land will be impossible if they have a thermal runaway and the chemicals get out into the ground, water table and who know where else

I object to the Bellambi Heights BESS

I object to the Bellambi Heights BESS. Please see attached objection.

I object to the Bellambi Heights BESS because of the visual discord of an industrial complex in a rural setting. The project site is only 6.5km NW of Gulgong and as such poses an unacceptable bushfire risk to the township, given that lithium batteries are prone to spontaneous combustion. I have attached a submission (THE CWO-REZ - ROBODEBT REVISITED) as the stated aim of the Bellambi Heights BESS is to support and enable new renewable energy projects in this region.

I object to the Bellambi Heights Battery Energy Storage System

Vena Energy Australia are owned by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) a private equity company with offices in New York, London, Mumbai, Connecticut, Hong Kong and Sydney. GIP own energy projects across the globe, a number of gas pipelines across the globe plus ports and airports, including Sydney Airport, Port of Melbourne and Port of Brisbane.

Follow the money, yet another foreign controlled entity mining taxpayers subsidies at the expense of our environment and our energy security.

This project is an environmental disaster for the local community, no amount of water will put out a fire in this BESS. The EIS discusses water tanks but no mention of where the water comes from and who ensures the tank is always full. There has already been a history of fire in the solar projects at Gulgong, nobody divulges what happens to the fire damaged panels. What happens to the BESS when it ceases to function? Where is the land fill site? How long before this BESS is simply a toxic waste of resources?

I write to lodge my strong objection to this BESS proposal. The grounds for my objection includes:
1. The visual impacts of the development - the proposal is situated on elevated rural land and will be clearly visually dominant in the rural landscape. The Visual Impact Assessment is considered to be flawed and does not adequately address the impacts that the elevated siting of the development from both public (roadways) and private viewpoints will have on the overall rural landscape character of the area. Farming homesteads / outbuildings are not permitted on any ridgelines and the Mid Western Regional Local Environmental Plan objectives also seek to protect the rural scenic locations within the region. This proposal does not achieve the objectives of the LEP.
2. The project seeks to potentially stage construction to enable the 'construction workforce' of up to 100 to be staggered and therefore not impact on local residents and accommodation providers. It is absolutely staggering that the cumulative social and economic impacts of all renewable projects in this area are not being taken seriously by these companies. The region has low unemployment and low accommodation vacancy rates. This clearly demonstrates that all workers will be DIDO / FIFO and this is not acceptable. Further, this project contributes to zero ongoing employment with all monitoring done offsite. Again, where is the benefits to the local community as a result of this project?
3. The proposal seeks to provide 'storage' for when the surrounding renewable energy systems are not capable of working. Yet the proposed BESS capacity will only allow for up to 2 hours storage?! How can this project be of any benefit to either the local community or the state of NSW to support the failing energy grid with only 2 hours of storage? This clearly demonstrates that the Mid Western Region is not suitable for wind or solar projects if they are not able to provide the full intended benefits over their proposed life span. Has anyone actually invested time into a full report into the efficiencies of each solar or wind project constructed to therefore justify the need for more and more infrastructure in rural areas that only impacts negatively on these areas and does not benefit the local community whatsoever?
4. The infrastructure is deemed hazardous and also proposes "oil" to enable the plant to operate. The significant contamination of this rural farming land will be a legacy issue, more likely left with the local council/landowner to manage which is considered unacceptable. Further, the leeching of contamination to offsite waterways and properties will destroy the environmental qualities of the rural area that currently exists.
5. The cumulative construction of the projects in this region, along with their ongoing operation, will generate more CO2 emissions then any rural farming operation that is able to continue on the site. This seems to be completely disregarded when approving such SSD projects in order to offer 'quick fix' options to manage the energy crisis for metro areas.
6. Alternative energy resources must be quickly realised (i.e.. biogas, thermal energy, hydro etc.) over solar and wind projects which are quickly destroying the communities that are faced with the bombardment of impacts from such projects, sprawling over long-standing successful rural landholdings that are creating significant land use conflicts.

This project should be refused based on the above and the fact that this is not a sustainable solution to the energy crisis.

I strongly object to the Bellambi Solar Farm at Gulgong for the following reasons:

1. It is a 408MW industrial complex on 23ha of land in a rural setting.

2. There are 72 residences within 4km of the site and it is visible from Gulgong township at a distance of 6.5km.

3. It is situated 3km from the existing Beryl Solar Farm, 1km from the proposed Tallawang Solar Farm and 3km from the proposed Mayfair Solar Farm.

4.The guidelines for renewable energy projects specify that cumulative impacts must be minimised. Yet the stated aim of the Bellambi Heights BESS is to "support and enable new renewable energy projects" in an area already burdened with many existing and proposed developments.

5. Lithium batteries have a problem with spontaneous combustion. Specialised equipment and training is needed to fight these fires..An escaping fire.puts both immediate residents and the residents of Gulgong township at risk, particularly as the site is to the north west of Gulgong.

6. Once completed there will be no employment opportunities for local people.

7.There is no bond system for the eventual decommissioning and rehabilitation of the site. This is dependent on a 'guarantee' given by whoever owns the project at the time.

There are too many projects in a small area which will heavily affect the local landowners and residents. The fire risk and loss of agricultural land to solar farms will result in decreasing food security for all. The energy and materials needed to manufacture and install industrial solar, along with the local site degradation, makes a mockery of the stated objective to save the environment. Add in batteries and the net environmental damage is multiple times greater. Industrial wind and solar consumes more and produces less, and batteries produce nothing.

Whilst I am not against renewable energy it needs to be done in the right location for its needs. Renewable energy is swamping this area and affecting prime agricultural land and farmers livelihoods, especially without proper consultation from proponents and EnergyCo.
It is stated in the EIS that this project is not within a bushfire prone area, but the surrounds are. The company must provide adequate fire fighting equipment and personnel especially in high fire danger rating periods and above.

I object to this project. The cumulative impact of all the wind and solar developments and transmission line projects in the CWO REZ is ridiculous. The Central West is a well known food and fibre producing area that should be left that way.
Power should be generated where it is to be used. Why are there not solar panels on every roof space in major cities?
The construction period for all of these proposed developments will kill our region and leave our pristine vistas ruined.
We also live in a bushfire prone area, how will ground firefighting be carried out amongst solar panels and aerial firefighting be utilised amongst wind turbines.
None of the REZ's have been properly thought through and should be abandoned until due diligence is done!

THe concept of battery storage is physically, economically and environmentally flawed. It will never satisfactorally facilitate renewable energy to be dispatchable. Industrial batteries are a total waste of tax payers money and are willfuly destroying the natural environment in pursuit (mining) of the rare earths required in battery manufacture. What we need is reiable affordable base-load 24/7 dispatchable electricity generated by clean coal, natural gas and nuclear. Not more geopolitically sensitive batteries made factories controlled by the CCP, thus threatening this Nationd Food and National Security.