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State Significant Development

Assessment

Dinawan Solar Farm

Murrumbidgee

Current Status: More Information Required

Interact with the stages for their names

  1. SEARs
  2. Prepare EIS
  3. Exhibition
  4. Collate Submissions
  5. Response to Submissions
  6. Assessment
  7. Recommendation
  8. Determination

Development of a 800 MW solar farm, associated infrastructure and battery storage.

EPBC

This project is a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and will be assessed under the bilateral agreement between the NSW and Commonwealth Governments, or an accredited assessment process. For more information, refer to the Australian Government's website.

Attachments & Resources

Request for SEARs (2)

SEARs (14)

EIS (16)

Exhibition (1)

Response to Submissions (2)

Agency Advice (12)

Amendments (9)

Additional Information (1)

Submissions

Filters
Showing 1 - 20 of 82 submissions
Name Withheld
Object
Tullakool , New South Wales
Message
I would like to give my strong opposition to the Dinawan Solar factory proposed near Coleambally/Jerilderie. I absolutely Object for many reasons and concerns that I have.
The planning process of the energy generating factories is very poor with an absolute lack of consultation of the landholder. The true extent of the contract they are signing and the discussion to the landscape and the fauna and flora. The lasting generational burden on the young people to come to the land for Agriculture. the surrounding landholder whom have no knowledge of the plans.
The impacted to tethered Fauna, the Plains Wander; A flight less bird that nest and lives on the great plains. The noise from the BESS will be enough to displace this bird. The Bush Stone Curlew another flight less bird to soon be more under treat. The Australian painted Snipe, The Australian Bitten the list go's on.
The is defiantly the absence of a comprehensive plan. This project will be on prime ag land food and fibre produces for our great country

The light speed rush toward and energy generation that will Not supply the need of the people of Australia. There is currently a black out the Wangaratta ATM, 20 hr no power. A situation no one needs to be in. there need to be a integration of all energy generation implemented for Australia and Australians.
Daniel Lablack
Object
Augustine Height , Queensland
Message
I would like to register my objection to the proposed Dinawan Solar Farm. This project and many like it are an ecological, economic, food security, and national security disaster. There are far better alternatives, especially nuclear power.
Name Withheld
Object
Leeton , New South Wales
Message
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
I object to the above as renewable energy is hazardous and will contaminate regional
environments and may catch fire and cause toxic smoke and asthma and asthma-like health
hazards in that event.
It is a myth that “renewable” energy is better. It is NOT better or CHEAPER than coal-fired baseload
power by any stretch. This is also a national security issue when our services and assets are
owned offshore. This is not in Australia’s best interests and anyone thinking or pushing that has a
loyalty to somewhere other than Australia and should be held accountable.
Anita O'Neil
Object
Coolah , New South Wales
Message
Solar Farms are NOT clean & green because of the fossil fuels & the chemicals used in their production. China now has the monopoly on the production of solar panels. There are numerous reports that forced / slave labour is employed in China for the unethical production of solar panels. As Kuby Renewable Energy Ltd state:
1. Energy Demand - Solar requires a significant amount of energy up front to produce. Mining, manufacturing and transportation all require substantial amounts energy. Quartz must be processed, and cleaned and then manufactured with other components which may come from different facilities (aluminum, copper etc..) to produce a single solar module. Heating the quartz during the processing stage requires very high heat. Manufacturing requires combining multiple materials with incredible precision to produce high efficiency panels. All of this requires lots of up-front energy. With traditional fuels such as gas or goal, they are extracted, cleaned/processed and burned at very large scales,typically in a single location.
2. Chemicals – To produce solar-grade silicon, semi-conductor processing typically involves hazardous chemicals. Depending on the solar panel manufacturer and country of origin, these chemicals may or may not be disposed properly. Like every industry, there are companies leading by example, and others which cut corners to save cash. Not every company will dump chemicals, or won’t recycle their byproducts properly, but there are bad apples out there.
3. Recycling – Although solar panel recycling has not become a major issue yet, it will in the coming decades as solar panels need to be replaced. Currently, solar modules can be disposed of with other standard e-waste. Countries without robust e-waste disposal means are at a higher risk of recycling related issues.
https://kubyenergy.ca/blog/the-positive-and-negative-environmental-impacts-of-solar-panels
On a local level, there are also concerns. Katherine Courage (2021) stated the following:
Solar installations, on the scale needed to supply power grids, are massive by necessity, transforming the lands where they’re located into a new kind of built environment. They can alter everything from sun exposure to moisture to surface temperatures. This can have unintended and unexpected impacts on local plants, animals, and even the area’s microbiome.
Photovoltaic panels shade the land while blocking some areas from rainfall and dousing others with heavy runoff. This changes the growing conditions for plants, with implications for other connected species.
In areas like the US Southwest, solar installations appear to contribute to bird mortality. Scientists aren’t entirely sure why this is, but one prevailing idea, known as the “lake-effect” hypothesis, is that migrating waterfowl making their way through the arid landscape mistake the installations for bodies of water and crash into them.
Large solar facilities in particular can also fragment important wildlife habitat or migration corridors via fences and landscape alteration, and can restrict gene flow for animal as well as plant populations.
Operators of these installations are generally keen to cut the costs of construction and maintenance, so most solar facilities replace the existing land cover with graded packed dirt, gravel, or mowed grass, further harming local biodiversity. “‘Blade-and-grade’ site prep that removes all vegetation clearly has a negative effect on biodiversity,” Lovich said. He expects mowed grass would “stress plant communities and the animals that use them.”
https://www.vox.com/2021/8/18/22556193/solar-energy-biodiversity-birds-pollinator-land
Jeanine Bird
Object
LEETON , New South Wales
Message
See attachment
Attachments
David Landini
Object
WAKOOL , New South Wales
Message
I am registering my objection to the proposed Dinawan Solar Farm. This project and many like it are an ecological, economic, food security, and national security disaster. There are far better alternatives, such as both maintaining the current carbon based electricity generation and nuclear power."
Climate and Energy Realists Queensland
Object
BUNDALL , Queensland
Message
Solar Projects will generate sporadic large quantities of power, but only when the Sun shines brightly. This is not at night, in the early morning, late evening, on cloudy days etc. It creates a problem for conventional power, which must be used to back it up no matter how it performs. This problem of supply is known as the Duck Curve. Batteries are not a replacement because they can never last long enough. They are made in China using slave labour, the components are coal and silica fused at 1200 degrees usually in a coal-fired power plant. They consist of dangerous heavy metals, which are often sourced in African counties using child labour.
Name Withheld
Object
MOLLYAN , New South Wales
Message
I would like to add the following Acknowledgement to Agriculture to my previous objecting submission. The developers and Australian government seem to not realise the significance of agriculture to Australia, therefore this may help educate them. The Dinawan landscape, community, local economies, homes, businesses and ways of life should not be destroyed due to greedy developers and their unproven sources of unreliable energy. Again, I object to this project.

I would like to begin by acknowledging the farmers of the land within our great nation of Australia today. I pay my respects to Australia’s past, present and future farmers who have and will continue to battle setbacks such as renewable energy destruction, drought, floods, vermin plagues, diseases, and government policy, all so they can provide Australia with food and fibre. I acknowledge that these setbacks come at a high price of mental health, and many have taken their lives as a result due to such pressures. I extend this respect and am thankful for the sacrifices those within the agricultural industry make in order to provide Australia with the essentials; I acknowledge the agricultural industry as the backbone of our nation
We need to unite and fight these developers and the Australian government for forcing this upon us.
Name Withheld
Object
Weetaliba , New South Wales
Message
I OBJECT TO THIS SOLAR FARM PROJECT.
Name Withheld
Object
BINNAWAY , New South Wales
Message
these are UGLY. We don't want them in rural NSW. We don't want these destroying our lifestyle, businesses, communities and way of life. Get rid of them. Go back to better planning and find a more suitable place NOT in rural NSW. Our children and grandchildren, and future generations should not be lumped with the burden of our government's bad decision making, nor should they be lumped with the complacency of those unable to stand up and say NO to these. We need to protect our landscapes because that is what makes rural NSW unique and a desirable place to live.
Name Withheld
Object
BINNAWAY , New South Wales
Message
NOPE - keep this out of rural NSW. We don't want them. They will destroy our small communities, businesses, homes and ways of life. NO SOLAR FARM IN DINAWAN!
Name Withheld
Object
BINNAWAY , New South Wales
Message
projects like this are no good for rural communities in NSW. Keep them out and put them closer to the cities. protect our landscapes, wildlife and lifestyles!
Name Withheld
Object
NEILREX , New South Wales
Message
I object to this project. More needs to be done to protect communities in rural NSW. this will destroy local communities and local economies. This project will also damage the local enviornment.
Name Withheld
Object
BINNAWAY , New South Wales
Message
I object to this project because it will be an ugly addition to the rural landscape. it will also impact local economy in a negative way. As someone who works in a small rural supplies store, renewable energy developments such as these will ultimately close down businesses like mine. protect rural NSW communities!
Name Withheld
Object
BINNAWAY , New South Wales
Message
do not put these ugly fixtures on our rural landscapes. put them closer to the city. i object to this project.
Name Withheld
Object
BINNAWAY , New South Wales
Message
I object to this project. do not destroy the landscapes and local economy for the Dinawan community, because that is what this solar farm will do.
Name Withheld
Object
BINNAWAY , New South Wales
Message
I object to this project. Do not destroy rural communities and landscapes for unreliable forms of energy.
Name Withheld
Object
Traynors Lagoon , Victoria
Message
I am greatly concerned about the environmental impact of this project, not only during construction but into the future. We should be conserving the environment not destroying it. There are vast arrays of rooftops in urban areas that all should be carrying solar and contributing to the system. Clearing vast areas of land is not the answer. More research is required, take the blinkers off and work harder at better solutions.
Name Withheld
Object
MOLLYAN , New South Wales
Message
I object to this project because rural NSW is not the place to accommodate renewable energy. As a 4th generation farmer, closing down significant agricultural land like this would have negative impacts on local economy such as the local rural supplies store. More thought needs to be put into the energy crisis. These are unreliable sources of energy that are getting forced upon us and communities in rural NSW will suffer as a result of bad decision making by those in the cities.
Name Withheld
Object
COONABARABRAN , New South Wales
Message
please register this as my objection to the Dinawan Solar Farm project. this project will destroy a small and beautiful rural community. given this, i do not believe that the project should go ahead. Small communities need to be supported, not divided by projects like this.

Pagination

Project Details

Application Number
SSD-50725959
EPBC ID Number
2023/09516
Assessment Type
State Significant Development
Development Type
Electricity Generation - Solar
Local Government Areas
Murrumbidgee

Contact Planner

Name
Samantha Oyston