Bendemeer Solar Farm

My wife and I strongly oppose the construction of another solar farm in NSW. I can find no evidence at all that these huge farms will help reduce the temperature in Australia let alone the world. The amount of energy it takes to construct the panels far outwieghs the energy saved. Solar energy WILL NOT reduce our power bills as is already proved. The panels and supports are not renewable nor are they recyclable, once decommissioned, they will be put into landfill only to leach the toxic chemicals into our soils and water ways. STOP THIS HARMFUL BUSINESS NOW - Our beautiful landscape is worth fighting for, our lifestyle is worth fighting for and we will push back against these projects - they are a project for the investors who make millions and destroy average peoples lives.

The solar farm will have a very strong impact on the local community, particularly economically. By diversifying the industry in the region, local agricultural producers will be able to drought-proof their income and assist with succession planning for the next generation.
The proposed community benefit fund will see local projects and events benefit, including assisting in clean up of local area and maintenance of McDonald River. The local economy will also have a much needed surge, with job opportunities and additional spend in Bendemeer a huge bonus to the otherwise limited streams of income.

The positive environmental benefits will allow NSW and Aus to work towards the clean energy transition and reduce carbon emissions, while contributing to the national power supply that needs new input with an aging power generation system.

Strong community engagement has been undertaken, with the proponent being available to answer questions and converse with all local community members and organisations for close to two years. They actually care, rather than doing the bare minimum, which has been seen in their willingness to have discussions with groups from both sides of the fence

With Regards to the NSW State Significant Development - Bendemeer Solar Farm

To whom it may concern,

It is my opinion, both as a local resident, and an active member of the Bendemeer community that the proposed Bendemeer Solar Farm is a crucial initiative, which has the potential to transform the energy landscape of New South Wales, while contributing significantly to Australia's renewable energy goals.

As a strong advocate for sustainable practices, I am pleased to express my wholehearted support for this state significant development in the Bendemeer locality, and would like to address this particular project from economic, environmental, and social aspects.


1. Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future:

The Bendemeer Solar Farm embodies the transition to renewable energy, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Solar energy is a clean, renewable resource that has the potential to meet a significant portion of NSW's energy demands without producing harmful emissions or by-products. Embracing renewable energy sources like solar power is crucial to mitigating the impacts of global warming and ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.

2. Economic Advantages:

Investing in the Bendemeer Solar Farm will have a positive impact on both the regional and state economy. The construction phase will create a surge of job opportunities, greatly benefitting the local community, and stimulating economic growth. Skilled workers from various fields, such as engineering, construction, and project management, will find employment opportunities, leading to increased disposable income in an area which is largely agricultural and small business oriented.

Moreover, the operation and maintenance of the solar farm will generate long-term employment, ensuring a steady source of income for not only targeted professionals but local residents alike. Additionally, the solar farm will attract future investments, further contributing to the economic development of the region.

3. Energy Security and Independence:

Through the approval of this project, the Bendemeer community will enhance energy security for NSW. As a state that heavily relies on coal for electricity generation, embracing solar power will diversify the energy mix and reduce the state's vulnerability to supply disruptions or price fluctuations in the fossil fuel market. This is an issue which has been particularly evident throughout the past 18-24 months.

Transitioning to renewable energy sources also reduces the reliance on energy imports and fosters energy independence. The Bendemeer Solar Farm, with its 210 MW capacity, will contribute significantly to meeting the state's energy needs, making NSW less dependent on external energy sources and promoting energy self-sufficiency.

4. Environmental Benefits:

Perhaps the most critical aspect of the Bendemeer Solar Farm is its positive impact on the environment. Solar energy is a clean, non-polluting resource that produces no greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants, or harmful by-products. By just choosing to support this one project, the Bendemeer community and local government can make substantial progress in meeting the NSW emission reduction targets.The solar farm's presence on a broader scale will also mitigate air and water pollution, ensuring cleaner air and water for our current and future communities..

5. Contribution to Australia's Renewable Energy Goals:

As a state significant development, the Bendemeer Solar Farm aligns perfectly with Australia's broader renewable energy ambitions. The nation has committed to increasing the share of renewable energy in its electricity generation mix significantly. By supporting and facilitating projects like the Bendemeer Solar Farm, we contribute directly to achieving these targets.

In conclusion, the Bendemeer Solar Farm represents a significant opportunity for NSW to lead the way in renewable energy adoption, embracing sustainable practices while reaping numerous economic, environmental, and social benefits. As both a local community member and supporter of clean energy initiatives, I wholeheartedly endorse this state significant development.

I support this project

I support this project. It is the best assistance for the struggling local agriculture industry, while helping the entire state with power. The developer has thoroughly assessed the project in the most professional and transparent way, protecting natural flora and fauna and keeping the local community engaged and in mind at every step. The local community fund, according to this EIS, is to be self administered, which all of the above puts this project, in my opinion, among the best in Australia.

The solar farm are ugly they will have an effect on the wild life as well as putting farmer against farmer using agricultural land that should be used for growing food as our population is growing Australia has become a land of do as I say dont question renewables the country side a sea of windmills and solar panels

I strongly object to the project because
1. Our property is across the road from the solar farm and we will have noise pollution
2. The solar farm is 1.2 km away from the Bendemeer township and no other solar farms are this close to a town
3. There is a 10km buffer zone in several larger towns for wind & solar but no buffer zone for our small town
4. The solar farm is being built on good grazing land that will be ruined forever
5. The landscape will be cleared from trees and vegetation that the wildlife depend on
6. This will also kill alot of wildlife
7. The solar farm is being built right beside our town water supply and may seap into the town water if the panels are broken by a hail storm or damaged in any way
8. Our soil in bendemeer id granite which filters water and doesnt hold the water that the solar farm say they can hold in seepage dams it will seep right through into the McDonald River in the town water supply
9. The visual effects are huge with the solar farm being right on the Oxley Highway it will cause glare to drivers and residents that live near by
10. The roads are not built to withstand large machinery continually the Oxley Highway is only 2 narrow lanes that arent in good condition already
The project has caused a separation in the community between neighbours and sporting groups including the Rodeo & campdraft Club which has seen members leave that have been friends for 30 years that now hate each other
11. The community & adjoining Neighbours need to be able to have a say about what they have in their backyard so sad as we live in Bendemeer to escape the busy towns and enjoy our beautiful the scenery and landscape.
12. Will increase crime in our town with lots of extra people around

I object to the project as it is very close to the village of Bendemeer and the McDonald River. The river is the lifeblood of town, supporting vulnerable species of platypus and Bells turtles amongst many other fish, reptiles and mammals. Koalas are beginning to return the area and have been sighted in local woodlands and destruction of habitat will result in loss of these and other wildlife. The New England Hwy will become even busier and more dangerous with the increased traffic.

A fantastic addition to the renewable projects required to replace coal and decarbonise at a state significant level

I strongly object to the solar industrial site proposed for Bendemeer within a few hundred metres of my home and in full view due to the following reasons:
1. The division of the community that has already occurred. Bendemeer is a small rural community who thrives on working together with your neighbours not against them. Our local community events like the annual campdraft and rodeo don't need money thrown at them from overseas but more hands on deck. The division among the community has hindered these kind of events and caused divide among members.
2. Bendemeer is known for it beauty. This site will be visible from the entire Bendemeer community due to its extremely close proximity to the town (I believe it is the closest one proposed to any township). The few local business that we have and rely on in our town will be drastically impacted by the impact on tourism. I don't know of any tourist that would love to stop and view a black wall of solar panels.
3. The visibility of traffic and impact on road quality - The proposed site will be visible from the highway. The glare impact on drivers is a major concern. I have been told that the panels will move to prevent this, however, knowing the greed of these people they are going to want the afternoon western sun which will be directly facing my property and that of people travelling along the Oxley Highway to Walcha from Bendemeer. This is extremely dangerous. The additional 200 plus trucks using our roads will not only damage the quality causing hazards for motorists and locals who use these roads but will also cause congestion on our roads. Living within close proximity to the road, the additional noise, dust and vehicle traffic will impact my quality of life. The emissions that these trucks will be producing and all the other machinery, the dumping of the panels once they are no longer needed or broken, the cutting down of trees, destroying animal habitats and also animals in the process, the emissions produced whilst in operation, the water wastage from cleaning panels - Non of this seems renewable to me.
4. Noise Impact - As stated by Llewellyn Owens on the news said that the noise will be a low hum. I don't want to hear a low hum for the next 25 years. We live in the country to have a peaceful lifestyle and don't want to hear industrial noise. The noise impact from the construction is inaccurate in the EIS. We have been told that the noise will be loud during the 18 months of construction between 7am-6pm. This is horrendous. How can you expect people and animals to live like this for this long. It also states that trucks can make delivers outside of these hours and they can work outside these hours if necessary. So they will work outside these hours if they get the go ahead. From what I know about the Bendemeer Energy Hub team they aren't great at telling the truth and will tell people what they want to hear. They make out that they are locals but they are not.
5. Environmental Impact - How is it that these kind of people can bulldoze down many, many hectares of over 100 year old trees on a property where as the average farm is so restricted by what they can cut down. Doesn't seem to be great for the environment and doesn't make sense to cut down trees to put up solar panels.
6. The additional water - The additional water created and the underground water will cause additional water in our gully preventing our fire exit. The additional water will cause it to be too wet for us to access the back of our property. If they dam the natural water supply we then won't have water for our stock. The health and water quality will impact the towns drinking water with toxins leeching into our water supply/ the McDonald River.
7. Pest Management - The property proposed has extensive rabbit population. Once bulldozing starts the rabbits will move to neighbouring properties causing more issues for neighbours. Due to the natural water course a rabbit proof fence will be impossible.
8. Owner of the property - The owner who has agreed to have this on his cattle property doesn't even live in Bendemeer on his own property. He is not part of the community and likes the media attention and coverage. It's all about the money and he doesn't seem to care about the impacts on his neighbours or our community or he wouldn't be doing this. This is just unbelievable. We go from one extreme to the other with energy sources. This isn't the answer for Australia.
9. The visual impact on our entire property hasn't been taken into consider only from the dwelling situated at the beginning of our property. The impact also doesn't include cells that contain less than 25% of the cell. So you could have an impact of an additional 10 cells with 20% occupied and it doesn't count. How unfair and ridiculous is this. Farming people don't live in their homes, we live on the land. The impact on ourselves, our animals and our lifestyles. We won't be able to move our cattle into our yards or move between paddocks when the panels are facing our way due to glare. How is this fair. This is cruelty to animals and also humans having to put up with this. The few trees they they have offered as screening won't work and they originally said the whole length but now have gone back on that and will only try to screen sections. Not sure how you buy 200 metre tall tress but anyway. If trees are planted at the base of the hill they wont screen anything and won't grow quickly in our environment. The temperature mentioned in the EIS is also a lie. It gets colder than -1 for about 5 months of the year. We have recorded -12 to -14 within the last 5 years. The solar panels are also meant to warm our environment. Isn't that a bad thing to be changing the local temperature and environment.
10. The lack of communication - The EIS is incorrect when it mentions the communication. We were contacted by our neighbour through a text message in August 2022. We had previously heard nothing about it and being adversely impacted by this, shows the lack of communication and protocol breach. We were then linked in with a group email from the residing residents where the proposed site is. Once this link was established the hub contacted us via email at the end of August 2022. It is interesting to note that the residents of the proposed site have gone quiet (just interesting as to why they have and who has made them). It is also interesting to find out that our adjoining neighbours knew about this approximately 4 years prior and we only found out in August 2022. The meetings that have been held and the ability to try and buy residents and votes is completely unfair. Offering free coffee's from the General Store if you visit with them. Isn't that trying to buy votes. People in Bendemeer go off to work during the day so to get to these meetings is impossible. We have lives and our attempt to fight this has become an additional job for local residents, adding unnecessary stress and pressures. For these people drumming up business is their job. Where is the equity?
11. The decrease in property values. This will adversely impact our property. Studies have shown that these sites not only decrease the value of neighbouring properties but also impacts the number of potentially interested buyers. This is our home, this is our investment and how can a neighbour and group who stands to make a whole lot of money off this take away others assets. In the nature of common sense , this just makes none. Who has the right to do this. We live in Australia, meant to be a free country and you are meant to have rights.
I STRONGLY OBJECT to this industrial site proposed for Bendemeer.

The solar project will benefit not only the local community of Bendemeer but surrounding areas as well. This will provide an influx of workers and income stream to continue to be able to strengthen growing population areas such as Tamworth. This not only will be a short term process but a long term income stream for the landowners being covered with any downfalls during droughts and floods. There are so many reasons why renewable projects are a plus for small country towns and how they can benefit all.

I don’t believe that it has proven to be efficient or effective enough to warrant being placed in bendemeer, I believe that the negative impact on the environment, especially the river, and the local people will far out weigh Amy benefits that it might bring to the community

It will be unsightly, it will decrease residents land value, unknown health risks

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I don't want the solar panels because it will be loud and go for 24 hours a day. The sun will shine on the solar panels and into my eyes and I won't be able to see. It is very close to our town and people won't want to visit our town and camp. It won't be beautiful anymore. Lots of trucks and machines will be going past our house and we live close to the road so it will be noisy. I like my house and town just the way it is. Old trees will be cut down and what about the eagles that we see fly into those trees. Where will they live when they are cut down? They will be scared when the trees are being cut down, so will my horse. More water will come to our farm and I won't be able to ride my horse across our gully out the back. Will it be dirty water? Will it go into the river? What about all the people who drink that water.

I have seen my family really upset about all the solar panels they want to put up right near our house. It will be bright in our eyes and we wont be able to see when playing football in our yard or when riding our horses on our farm. I like riding my horse and bringing in our cows. Can the horses and cows see with solar panels in their eyes? I have seen the photo of all the black and I don't like it. I have grown up on our farm and like it just the way it is. I don't want the trees bulldozed down and the animals to not have a home. Trees are living things, aren't they? I know dad can't cut down heaps of tree on our farm because he said you're not allowed too. Why can they chop down all the trees on that farm? I have heard mum and dad talking about the noise and I don't know how noisy it will be but I don't want it to be noisy at our house. I know that solar panels can break and they will go into the grass. Is that bad for the environment? I live at Bendemeer and I love it just the way it is!

I am writing this to express my enthusiastic support for the development of the Bendemeer Solar Farm. As a concerned citizen and an advocate for sustainable and renewable energy solutions, I firmly believe that this project holds significant potential to benefit both the local community and the environment.

The ongoing transition to clean energy is crucial in mitigating the impact of climate change and reducing our carbon footprint. The Bendemeer Solar Farm represents a crucial step towards achieving these environmental goals. By harnessing the power of the sun to generate electricity, the solar farm will provide a clean and reliable source of energy that does not produce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to the environmental benefits, the development of the Bendemeer Solar Farm will have positive effects on the local community and economy. During the construction phase, it will create numerous job opportunities, stimulating economic growth in the region. Furthermore, once operational, the solar farm will continue to employ skilled workers and contribute to the area's long-term economic prosperity.

I wish to express my support for the Bendemeer Solar Farm (SSD-36651552).

As a renewable energy professional employed by a Tamworth-based consulting and advisory practice, I am one of the many people who stand to potentially benefit from the many employment opportunities presented by the Bendemeer Solar Farm and other renewable energy projects proposed in the region.

The EIS for the project currently on public exhibition has been prepared with careful and detailed consideration of the project impacts. Through extensive community engagement over a long period of time, the Applicant demonstrates a deep understanding of the sensitivities of the local community and a genuine commitment to be part of and benefit the local community.

I believe the scale of the project, which importantly features a large energy storage system, will provide a meaningful contribution to the progressive replacement of NSW’s existing fossil fuel-based generators, all of which are scheduled for closure by 2040. To this end, the project directly assists in achieving the State and Commonwealth Government’s necessary greenhouse gas reduction targets. The energy transition is an issue that impacts all electricity consumers within the state of NSW and more broadly across the entire National Electricity Market, marking the project an a significant development for the state, not just the local region.

The benefits of the project as documented in the EIS and the Applicant’s website present a compelling case for the approval of the project:
- A community benefit fund of $50,000 per annum – a genuine boon for a small village such as Bendemeer;
- Dual land-use activities through continued agricultural activities on the project site;
- Extensive opportunities for local contractors during construction and operations; and
- Reduction of 420,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum that would otherwise be generated by coal or gas-fired power stations.

As someone who grew up in the New England and with deep family ties remaining in the region, I am eager to see the New England prosper whilst staying true to its core identity of progressive agriculture and entrepreneurial spirit undertaken in harmony with the natural environment. I believe renewable energy projects such as the Bendemeer Solar Farm, and those proposed more generally in the New England Renewable Energy Zone, compliment the strengths of the region. The energy transition presents a generational opportunity to diversify the prosperity of the local community of Bendemeer and the wider region, supporting new and skilled employment opportunities and providing wider economic growth generated through substantial capital investment in the region.

I support this project for the following reasons:
(1) New power generation projects are essential to replace our aging power generation fleet. Without new power stations we put at risk reliable power supply which underpins our economy.
(2) The need for low carbon energy sources in order to advance our emissions towards net zero. We are in a climate emergency with both June and July 2023 being the hottest months on record and 2023 set to be the hottest year ever.
(3) The clean energy transition represents the greatest opportunity for regional Australia in living memory. This project will create significant jobs, economic value and increase the average household income for the Bendemeer and Tamworth region. The opportunities will ensure my children can secure high paying, skilled jobs in regional Australia should they choose too.
(4) This project will provide a significant contribution to the local community through its community contribution fund. This will go a long way in the small town like Bendemeer. Metis has already made contributions to local events and shown clear intent as a positive corporate citizen.
(5) The developer has shown commitment to the Bendemeer, Tamworth and Armidale regions community by utilising local businesses where possible and actively working with landowners and neighbors of the project.
(6) Metis have engaged with the community over an extended period, allowing for genuine community engagement and utilising local personnel to provide this engagement.
(7) The project will bring significant funds into the area through construction and operations, both to businesses, landowners and employees. This will diversify the regions predominate agricultural income, essentially drought proofing the landowner and also the local economy.
(8) The mixed agricultural use of the land is exciting and will result in a net positive for the landowner.
(9) The project design has been adjusted to avoid significant biodiversity areas. This avoidance essentially establishes a biodiversity corridor from the Macdonald river through to the oxley highway.
(10) The comprehensive EIS shows the project has taken its responsibilities seriously and has made significant adjustments to the project to comply with the Solar Design guidelines.

Communities effected.
Real estate devaluations.
Good primary production lost.
Cost to establish out ways the purpose for solar.
Damage to you soils, water & environment.