Hume North Battery Energy Storage System

Find attached documents.
9 as a person,
1 on behalf of the Friends of the Lake Hume Gliders Group (labeled FLGH on Hume North BESS)

Note: Thesium Pty Ltd identifies that there is a potential for commercial interest in providing support for this project.

We support the transition towards a renewable energy-dominated electricity grid in the Australian eastern seaboard. To function effectively, storage of the energy which can be released as needed, in a form that replicates baseload, and in sufficient quantity, is going to be a critical necessity.

Our commercial interest results from the opportunity to be considered for supply of the biodiversity credits that offset the impacts the project will create upon development. We hope that the developer will find attractive what we have on offer.

With thanks for the opportunity to provide a submission.

Please See Attached Word Document

Stop funding these toxic environmentally destructive projects. There would not be enough lithium in the world for all these BESS proposed for Australia. Stop wasting taxpayers money and provide us with abundant affordable power that works 24/7.

How will this connect to the grid?

I worry for my grandchildren as they will be the one's left with this junk. That we will be responsible for.

I pray for this madness to stop. We sell coal , we should burn coal!!

This project is a waste of taxpayers money.

What a sick joke expecting households and businesses to survive on weather dependent energy supported by batteries that will only last a few hours and need to be replaced in less than 15 years.

This project will result in more mining all over the world and the resulting product - BESS - will be noisy, inefficient, unable to be extinguished in a fire and likely backed up by diesel generators.

It is a travesty that the next generation will be left to clean, talk about an encumberment costly billions.

Attached

North Hume Battery Energy Storage System Development
Submission from Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group – 12 December 2024.
I am making this submission on behalf of the volunteers of Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group who have had a vested interest in the proposed North Hume BESS development site and surrounding lands, residents, and landholders for the past two decades. All the projects conducted by our group are funded through successful grant applications or donations.
Our concern is the impact the disturbance footprint of this project will have on the surrounding habitat.
Our records show that Trout Farm Road and Lake Hume Village Foreshore areas are a breeding/feeding/nesting sites for Squirrel Gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis) a species listed as vulnerable under the NSW Threatened Species Act 1995. This is clearly recognised in your Environmental Impact Study document.
Background
In 2013, a grant was received from the Albury Conservation Company to supply 20 squirrel glider nest boxes and 100 trees/shrubs to be used into extend the range of the Lake Hume Foreshore glider population. Since then, the monitoring of glider nest boxes and habitat provision (jumping trees) has been an ongoing project by a small group of local, environmentally minded community members called Friends of Lake Hume Gliders. The efforts of this group have been highly successful. The glider habitat and corridors now extend from Bethanga Bridge in the north along Lake Hume foreshore and through Lake Hume village to below the Hume Dam spillway and along Trout Farm Road. The area covers private, State and Commonwealth owned lands.
Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group has recently included Friends of Lake Hume Gliders group under the Landcare umbrella. The monitoring and maintenance of glider nest boxes is conducted in Spring and Autum, each year when possible. The proposed development site was part of the nest box monitoring and glider habitat expansion efforts.
Information on this ongoing project has been supplied at community meetings and discussions held with Foresight’s Portfolio and Senior Development Managers.
Current Situation
Our group currently is currently working on a grant funded project focusing on replacing, repairing, and refreshing next boxes for Squirrel Gliders around Lake Hume Foreshore, Lake Hume Village, Trout Farm Road and private properties adjoining these areas. The nest boxes on the proposed BESS site were also included in this project prior to our group becoming aware that the site was to be used for a State Significant Development.
It would be invaluable to our volunteer group if the developers could work with our group to discuss and implement the recommendations in this EIS report and help develop an improved “Lake Hume Squirrell Glider Local Area Management Plan.” As the BESS project is a 30-year investment in the Lake Hume Village area, the developer will now be a stakeholder in the area.
Comments on Exhibition Documents
Biodiversity Assessment Report
2.4.1 Background
The authors of this document have incorrectly put “…. supported by Holbrook Landcare Network….” Holbrook Landcare Network is not involved. Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group is. Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare is a member of the Murray Landcare Collective.
5. Habitat Suitability for threatened species
Birdlife
As a Landcare Group we work closely with Birdlife Australia. Regular bird surveys have been conducted on the Travelling Stock Reserve (TSR) which is on the southern side (below) the proposed development site and within 10 km of the TSR.
See Attachment 1 - a list of 212 documented bird species, some of which are listed as threatened, vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered under Commonwealth, New South Wales and Victorian Acts of Parliament, but do not appear in the Biodiversity Assessment Report. The period covered is from 2020-2024. This document gives more information as it was taken over four- year period. The company preparing the EIS was only in the area for approximately 1 week.
Landscape plan Appendix I.
Landscape notes – final page. One local issue that our group has been dealing with for years whilst revegetating surrounding areas adjoining the proposed development site, is the kangaroo mobs that immediately chew off newly planted plants. A successful solution that has been implemented is by putting 1200mm wire tree guards around the bushes/trees until they are mature enough to withstand the impact of grazing kangaroos. Many hours of time and effort is invested each year protecting saplings/regeneration plants. There are numerous wire tree guards which can currently be seen on the undisturbed project site. The cost and use of metal tree guards should be included in the work practices of plantings connected with this project.
Our group is amenable to working with the project managers before, during and after this project is concluded to continue to improve our ongoing conservation efforts for Squirrel Gliders and habitat within the Lake Hume Village precinct and surrounds.

Kind regards Janice Frey President Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare Group

The biggest scam CC. bring o9n us this stupid unreliable unreasonable rush.

This is absolute BS!!!!!

see attachment

They cannot keep trampling on our communities for profit under the guise of “renewable energy.” the government dose not have Australian interests in the front.

Allowing these big battery installations without proper checks betrays the best interests of Australians.

The so-called green initiatives pushed by big foreign energy companies are anything but environmentally or socially responsible.
it has to do with buckets of money. your money.. $1500 for every energy user per year. this is to much

This RE rush cannot keep trampling on our communities for profit under the guise of “renewable energy.” Energy security +food security = national security.....

the ridicules rush has the stop, before we destroy everyone.

Allowing these big battery installations without proper checks betrays the best interests of Australians. We are calling for a halt to all new battery projects until an independent inquiry can reveal how these companies operate. They cannot keep trampling on our communities for profit under the guise of “renewable energy.”