Birriwa Solar - Modification 1

Birriwa Solar Modification is a Monstrous Expansion That Must Be Rejected.

What ACEN Australia proposes at Birriwa is not a step forward in clean energy — it is a colossal misstep in environmental vandalism.

This so-called modification is a thinly veiled attempt to supercharge industrial sprawl over an already fragile and irreplaceable landscape. It is a brazen betrayal of the land, the wildlife, the waterways, and the communities that depend on them.
We are not witnessing a “refinement” of the original plan. We are witnessing poisonous industrialisation cloaked in green rhetoric. And it must be stopped.

🛑 Irrevocable Destruction of Threatened Habitat
ACEN’s proposal aims to bulldoze deeper into land that is already known to contain some of the most endangered ecosystems in NSW. The targeted zones include two threatened ecological communities:
Inland Grey Box Woodland, listed as Endangered.
White Box–Yellow Box–Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland, listed as Critically Endangered — and flagged for Serious and Irreversible Impact classification.

These ecosystems aren’t marginal.
They are nationally significant biodiversity hotspots, home to vegetation and wildlife that have survived for centuries but will not withstand this level of assault.
ACEN’s expansion threatens PCT 80 and PCT 281, which support endangered flora and fauna that cannot be relocated, replaced, or regenerated.

Among the species at risk: the Koala, confirmed present through scat detection in the native forest remnants, and vulnerable nocturnal birds such as the Powerful Owl, Barking Owl, and Masked Owl. Even the elusive Large-eared Pied Bat, sensitive to landscape fragmentation, is assumed to inhabit this area.
This is not just environmental risk. It is ecological erasure.

💦 Toxic Contamination of Water Systems
The proposal shows gross negligence toward the region’s precious water ecosystems.
The project area includes Browns Creek, White Creek, and Huxleys Creek — all identified as Key Fish Habitat, and all lying within the known range of the Purple-Spotted Gudgeon, a threatened freshwater species.

What will be introduced to this delicate system? PFOS-coated solar panels that leach heavy metals, alongside vast Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) capable of catastrophic failure — releasing toxic plumes, contaminating soil and waterways, and posing extreme fire hazards.
These lithium-based systems have already been linked to major explosions globally, earning the nickname "BESS bombs" for good reason.
This isn't green energy. This is a toxic time bomb, being buried next to your waterways.

🌾 Sacrificing Food Security for Industrial Greed
ACEN’s expansion carves further into productive farmland — land that is already under pressure from climate stress and development.
The native pastures here are not wastelands; they are working agricultural landscapes, relied upon for grazing and food production.
Farmland is finite. Once paved over with solar panels, it is lost for good.
In a world grappling with food insecurity, sacrificing fertile ground for corporate profit under the guise of renewables is indefensible. We cannot eat electricity.

🚧 A Rural Region Industrialised and Disfigured
This modification proposes an additional 150 construction workers, bringing the total to 650 housed in a temporary accommodation camp, along with a 30% increase in heavy vehicle movements, rising to 156 truck trips daily.
This level of intrusion will transform the quiet, rural character of Birriwa into a noisy, polluted, high-risk industrial zone.
Add to that a new access route through the Birriwa Bus Route South, cutting across public roads and vital wildlife corridors, and we’re looking at not just habitat fragmentation — but a complete dismembering of the local landscape.

What began as a 600 MW solar farm has ballooned into an overbearing industrial complex, now demanding a 900 MW / 3600 MWh battery installation — a quadrupling of its original energy storage volume.
The risk this poses to public health and safety cannot be overstated.

⚖️ Call for Federal Intervention — This is a Controlled Action and requires an immediate moratorium to independently determine the toxic contaminating risks.
This expansion is not a local matter.
It demands scrutiny at the national level.

The presence of federally protected species, the irreversible harm to nationally-listed ecological communities, and the risks to water quality and our food resource land all trigger provisions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
It must be declared a Controlled Action under federal law.
Anything less would represent a catastrophic regulatory failure.

🛑 This Is Not Progress. It Is Plunder.
We do not support this RUIN-A-BULL energy — not at this huge cost of our last remaining native grasslands, our water security, our threatened species, and our food-producing land.
There is far superior Australian Coal Power and Nuclear in future - way better practices and outcomes than this.

ACEN’s proposal at Birriwa is not a renewable project — it is an ecological and agricultural invasion, dressed in green.

✊ We reject the Birriwa Solar Modification — Permanently.
This modification must not proceed. The expansion is:
Environmentally irresponsible
Agriculturally damaging
Scientifically unjustifiable
And morally indefensible!

Protect Birriwa.
Protect our water our land our biodiversity. Protect our people and our future.

Birriwa Solar is already ruinous and unacceptable!
Nobody wants this toxic dump let alone more of it!

When renewable energy projects destroy ecosystems, displace agriculture, and threaten national security, they are no longer part of the solution—they become greenwashed exploitation.

The Birriwa Solar Modification must be halted and fully reviewed during an immediate moratorium and independent federal inquiry/Royal Commission.

Wildlife corridors are severed by this out of control, excessive Modification.

The increase in development area splits contiguous tracts of native habitat, isolating fauna and interrupting migratory patterns.

For species like the Masked Owl and Koala, fragmentation is a death sentence.
Where’s the Controlled Action?

STOP THIS INCREASED, ENVIRONMENTALLY VANDALISING, POISONOUS BIRRIWA SOLAR/BESS JUNK, ITINERANT INVASION and ECOLOGICAL ECOCIDE!

Water Table and Dams Under Threat!
Additional impermeable surfaces, chemical leakage, and heavy vehicle traffic pose serious, increased threats to surface and groundwater systems which are yet to be properly determined.
This endangers livestock, downstream users, and aquatic biodiversity, meeting the threshold for a Controlled Action and rejection.

This increasing, toxic threat to our food bowl must be independently examined by honest experts without vested interests.

An immediate moratorium is required prior to anymore construction of poisonous Solar/BESS infrastructure in our food bowls.

Birriwa is not just any paddock—it sits within a key food-producing region.

Permanent conversion of arable land to energy infrastructure with toxic by-products is an existential threat to food security, demanding national attention.

This Modification completely ignores cumulative impacts.
This is not a stand-alone project.
It’s part of a wave of industrial-scale renewables displacing farmland and ecological assets across regional NSW.

The Federal Government must consider cumulative regional impacts, which this modification significantly worsens.

The Fake Green ACEN label can’t excuse this despicable plan and horrendous increase in detrimental impacts.

Poisonous industrial Solar/BESS SWINDLE FACTORIES are the complete opposite to clean and sustainable energy and should be removed from this ecologically precious and agriculturally productive area.

This project isn’t a ‘green’ upgrade—it’s a transformation into a high-risk, life-threatening, industrialised landscape.

Environmental protections under the EPBC Act must apply equally to ‘renewable’
infrastructure - with independent expert, scientific determinations immediately required.

Halt All Further processing of and or development of Birriwa Solar Array Modification Immediately, 15km SE of Dunedoo.
I Vehemently Object to the project outright, modified by additional access, increased worker camp 150additional, and battery increased from 600/1200 to 900MW/3600MWh.
Toxicity risks are poorly assessed.

How Dare You, nsw.gov.au planners.
How do you Get away with it.
It is time you didn't, planners nsw.gov.au. Time you didn't.
I hold you All Fully Accountable, planners nsw.gov.au, for Harm and Loss to Rural region environments, Australians.
Will you be held fully accountable, Midwestern Council ? Absolutely.
BESS Cease and Desist in Australia Immediately Immediately Immediately.

https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/06/erin-brockovich-lawsuit-moss-landing-power-plant-fire/

Yet the battery storage system proposed for Birriwa Solar Array Modification increases in size and yet many times I have shown this link to nsw.gov.au yet get ignored again and again ???
I will be ensuring mayor, Councillors, [email protected], Minister Bowen, Minister Watt, Minister Sharpe, planners nsw.gov.au be held fully accountable for:-
- all fire risks over the lifetime of this project if approved
- all fire damage to property adjacent to and from proponents/ landholders property over the lifetime of this project if approved
- all contamination Risks from the project site over the lifetime of the project if approved
- all contamination issues coming from the project site over its lifetime note, if approved
- all heavy Metals issues connected to BESS over the lifetime of this project if approved
- all heavy Metals contamination of groundwater, water, irrigation water, Aquifers, coming from into adjacent to and from project site if approved.

[email protected] will be held fully accountable and will.
I will not let councils get away with contamination Risks associated with BESS proposed upon council regions, all councils can Object to but seemingly aren't.
Risking contamination of Lands, Waterways and Aquifers upon Our, Australians Ours, Precious Precious Lands Waterways and Communities Rural including Our, Australians Ours, Precious Precious Farmlands Murray Darling Basin Food Production Catchments are , I say, councils issues.
Rate Payers are ignored by councils.
Councils ignore Risks associated with BESS.
Fire risk is ignored - still. Why ? Why ? Why ? Smoke plumes are Toxic from BESS facilities.

https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/06/erin-brockovich-lawsuit-moss-landing-power-plant-fire/

Erin Brockovich Save Us in Australia because our councils will not Protect their Regions Waters, Waterways, Aquifers, Groundwater from BESS - risks absolutely in Our, Australians Ours, Rural regions.
Lands Waterways and Communities Rural region Birriwa I saw 2 days ago.
Flooding seen.
Wetlands holding rainfall seen.
Properties producing Foods observed.
Water is Precious you see. Water is Precious.
When will we understand how Precious Water is to us All who live in on upon the Sacred Murray Darling Basin Food Production Catchments we all receive from, being all Australians.
I heard many locals talk of Fires in the region Gulgong.
Fires.
Planners nsw.gov.au are Complicit in Risks to Environment's Rural region Food Production Regions.
Planners nsw.gov.au will be held fully accountable for all BESS projects approved or in plan on in upon Our, Australians Ours, Precious Precious Lands Waterways and Communities Rural including Our, Australians Ours, Precious Precious Farmlands including Murray Darling Basin Food Production Catchments that Flow from High to Low.
Planners nsw.gov.au will be held under investigation please. Planners nsw.gov.au threaten Our, Australians Ours, Futures. Yes they do. We all Depend on Food and Water of High Quality in Australia and Planners nsw.gov.au are risking Water and Food Quality for No reason but a Scam suggesting renewables can stop climate change which is a Lie.
A Lie. A Lie. Yes, a Lie.
Cease and Desist all further processing of and or development of Birriwa Solar Array Modification Immediately. The risk is too great, say the Locals, say the Locals, say the Locals, I saw speaking about Fires at a IPCN inquiry where I heard most talk about Contamination issues they really are quite Concerned about, yes really.
I have had enough of nsw.gov.au.
I Demand an Immediate Moratorium on BESS.
I Demand every planner in nsw.gov.au be under investigation for risking Our, Australians Ours, Water Quality and Food Quality Murray Darling Basin Food Production Catchments.
I Demand every council dealing money in exchange for access to Catchments Murray Darling Basin Food Production Catchments for renewables projects be held fully accountable for Risks associated with BESS and Solar Farms.
I Demand every single council be under investigation for dealing money in exchange for:-
- foreign projects forced upon Our, Australians Ours, Precious Precious Farmlands including Murray Darling Basin Food Production Catchments all Australians Depend on.
- Loss of Australia to Multinational companies
- potential fire risks coming from projects that can threaten properties and occupants human and other, including Wildlife
- potential contamination risks coming from projrcts that can affect Water quality and Food quality.
- risk to enterprises Rural
- Loss of Livelihoods of local community
- Loss of rights of Local community
- breaches of Paris Agreements re Food Production Lands Waterways
There are no community benefits.
Money is Ours you see, dealt to bribe the councils ? Bribe ? They have No right to receive money from Multinational companies you see. No right. Absolutely no right.
I Demand a Full Investigation into Money exchanged for approvals of Renewable energy projects that do not benefit the Australian community, but put At Risk Our, Australians Ours, Futures.

Who are you people ignoring research on BESS and Solar Farms.

Rooftops Only for all wind and solar developments now from now I Demand.

I Demand an Immediate Moratorium on BESS.
Toxicity risks are poorly assessed.

I Demand an Inquiry into the reason Lithium Ion batteries are the Only choice for storing electricity ?? They are not the only choice you see. They are a Risk to Our, Australians Ours, environments, rural rural rural, that are Food Production Regions under Threats from nsw.gov.au Complicit in Harm and Loss to environments rural NSW for No reason.
When will someone Cease and Desist the RE transition !!
When will Someone Approve a Brand New Low Emissions Coal Fired Power Station at either Muswellbrook or Lithgow ( for Obvious reasons) to Cease and Desist contamination Threats to Our, Australians Ours, Precious Precious Murray Darling Basin Food Production Catchments from RE projects of undefined number that must Cease in NSW from Today.

The project area now adjoins my family property, however we were not engaged in any SIA interviews, and we were previously, with the original application.

Greater visual impacts will occur at our families dwellings, we were not approached to be part of a visual impact assessment.

As evident White Creek is fragile and subject to erosion. With the significance of the non-permeable surfaces, runoff will be greater resulting in further erosion. Detention basins on the development site should be installed to assist in regulating the flow of stormwater to minimise further erosion. There are several crossing of White Creek proposed, these should be minised and significant vegetation should planted and maintained to assist in slowing the stormwater flow. There is local knowledge of suitable vegetation for the area, the neighbouring community should be engaged in proposed vegetation planting selection.

We have concern regarding deteriorating of and damage to solar panels and subsequent contamination impacts to water, soils and livestock bred for human consumption. There is no discussion of this in the documentation, this should be explored, mitigation measure proposed and a testing methodology established to protect the agricultural industry.

The increase in development footprint is removing additional land from agricultural production. Whilst a monetary figure is stated, the documentation does not detail the indirect economic impacts of this. Reduced stock numbers through the saleyards, less work for agronomists, reduced farm supply (chemical, fertilizer etc) sales from local business etc etc. The documentation does not cite the hectares of agricultural land lost in the region and it’s impact on the local economy.

We would be grateful if security fencing could be minimized and not located on property boundaries, but rather setback within the development area. Fencing should not be located along Birriwa Bus Route North, as there appears to be opportunity to locate it within the development area. A fencing plan should be prepared in consultation with neighbours and be included as a condition of development consent. Fencing should be black in colour (rather than grey) to minimize its visual impact on the landscape.

The SIA mentions the GP in Dunedoo, however, they are available two days and have closed books. We visited the Dubbo Base Hospital Emergency Department last Friday after a farm accident, with a suspected bone fractures and head injury. It took four hours to see a doctor and we were treated and left after seven hours, then traveled 1.5 hours home. This wait period is similar to what we have experienced previously. Whilst we recognise there will be a nurse onsite, there is no mention of the impact on emergency departments and capacity and safety for employees traveling from Dubbo back to the temporary workers facility. We feel the expansion by 150 people, in such a remote location has not been adequately assessed. Noting Mudgee is not a base hospital and you can be transfer from Mudgee to Dubbo, resulting in even greater vehicular movements.

Approved transport routes and management plans do not work. We have already witnessed on several occasions the EnergyCo camp construction vehicles using the wrong roads with poor driver behaviours. Alternate approaches should be explored and discussed with neighbours.

We are already experiencing impacts of REZ developments: port to REZ upgrades and EnergyCo accommodation facility. Accordingly, we think we have been impacted enough and it is not necessary for us to have to endure additional workforces (to the Birriwa Solar) and the impacts utilising the workforce camp. This modification should state the temporary workers facility is for the Birriwa Solar development only.

We are disheartened, inconvenienced and soon to be financially burdened (Port to REZ road upgrade, Barney’s Reef road closure, any day to Feb-Mar 2026) by the impacts we’re already experiencing. It has placed significant stress and anxiety on the family in try to understand the future cumulative impacts of these many developments occurring at such a rapid pace. I object to this modification and hope things can slow down and a comprehensive cumulative assessment can be undertaken to determine where the development threshold for this community is.

This plan is an energy depriving, contaminating Trojan Horse for foreign energy control by our most hostile enemy - designed to harm and supplant Australia.

Behind the green facade is ACEN’s deep foreign ownership, which raises questions of critical infrastructure security, foreign investment accountability, and long-term sovereignty.

The Commonwealth must assess these implications—especially given the sabotaging energy and cyber security dimensions

This Modification is out of control as we’ll all be poisoned by this toxic, hazardous rubbish and the itinerant influx is very dangerous for local families.

The Biosecurity risks are alarming - increasing the workforce from 500 to 650 workers—with no detailed plan for waste, pest, or disease control—is a recipe for biosecurity disaster.

Movement of people and materials through intact rural ecosystems requires federal environmental safeguards.

This Modification is completely unacceptable as nobody but the pariah Hosts want this toxic disaster which is already an extensive purveyor of poisonous PFAS plan.

The jump from 120 to 156 daily heavy vehicle trips is not a minor change—it's a major intensification of industrial activity through rural roads and sensitive landscapes.
This increased pressure on local infrastructure and habitat corridors necessitates a new environmental assessment at the Commonwealth level.

The community hate this Birriwa Solar plan - overwhelmingly objected to it originally and are dead against this horrible expansion.

Neither the people nor the environment can endure any more RenewaBULLs as they are THE ASBESTOS OF THE FUTURE!

Treasured Threatened Ecological Communities and the Koalas cannot absorb this extensive, highly destructive, contaminating impact.
The modification directly affects PCT 80 and PCT 281, both legally recognised as endangered or critically endangered ecological communities.

Local families are being mistreated by work camp intrusion and inundation - scaring our children and wrecking our pretty rural areas.

Expanding works within these zones constitutes a clear case for federal intervention and should not proceed at all let alone without Controlled Action determination.

Critical Waterways face TOXIC fallout from this Modified plan as the original Birriwa Solar was never assessed properly for its irreversible, poisonous impacts.

PFOS Coated, Heavy Metal leaching Chinese solar panels and electrical wiring as well as Bis-FASI, chemical laden BESS defy Australia’s DRINKING WATER GUIDELINES.

Modifications now push infrastructure closer to Key Fish Habitat creeks and livestock dams, threatening contamination from PFOS-coated solar panels and chemical leachates.
The proximity to vital waterways must trigger a Controlled Action under the EPBC Act to protect aquatic ecosystems, farming resources and our health.

This project is not in the public interest, planning more batteries and more workers accommodation in a fire risk area with diminished fire management resources (given the hundreds of planned wind turbines and endless transmisison towers) is irresponsible and potentially disasterous for the community and the environment.

Where is the cumulative impact study that the NSW Government promised?

Ramping up the BESS from 600MW/1200MWh to 900MW/3600MWh, without robust fire containment planning, is inexcusable.
Lithium-ion battery installations this large in rural fire zones are a public safety hazard, warranting national-level intervention before critical injury and multiple deaths occur.

ACEN has downplayed this ecocidal plan when they know full well how poisonous and vandalising it all is and that it has NO CONSENT - NO SOCIAL LICENCE!
The presence of koalas, barking owls, and large-eared pied bats within the modified project area shows this expansion also deepens the risk to already vulnerable species.
Our food resource land and their habitat cannot be replaced.
The project must trigger EPBC protections and be stopped to prevent serious and irreversible impacts.

This Modifications increased Toxic Contamination caused by Industrialised Solar and poisonous Lithium-ion BESS must be independently reviewed by experts without vested interests as the DPHI Solar Guidelines are full of lies and deceit.

This modification encroaches deeper into productive agricultural land, displacing long-standing grazing operations.

The cumulative loss of farmland to industrial energy sprawl threatens national food security and our health - demanding federal scrutiny through a Controlled Action declaration and an immediate moratorium and federal independent inquiry.

Extending this poisonous Industrialised Solar/BESS JUNK is the antithesis of Clean, Cheap, Reliable, Secure Energy.
Expanding the project’s scope to 900MW/3600MWh storage, a wider land area and itinerant invasion which is a Biosecurity catastrophe - only worsens its already devastating ecological footprint, economic and security disaster.

Genuine environmental and energy solutions do not come at the cost of people’s lives, endangered woodlands, vital wildlife habitat, viable farmland and Public Health and Safety.

This isn’t a solution to anything but doom — it’s life threatening environmental recklessness.

ACEN is a Phillipine based company. The Birriwa Solar project was overwhelmingly rejected by the community YET as usual the Department approved it. This project will not provide affordable reliable electricity 24 /7. It will be flat out generating electricty equivalent to 2 days out of 7. The increased battery size is only to game the electricty market and capitalise on the increased wholesale price for a couple of hours after the sun goes down....then what? Remember the wind doesn't blow every night.

So ACEN plan an increased battery size (to make more profit when there is no wind and solar in the NEM), the government has made this project part of the capacity investment scheme (more taxpayers funds....how much?????) so this project is a guaranteed profit for the developer irrespective of how much electricity is generated. When will the NSW Government put the environment, the electricity consumer and the rural community ahead of the profits for the foreign developer?

This project is not in the public interest. It is only going to benefit ACEN.