Manildra Solar Farm Modification 3

Manildra Solar Farm
"Located on Wiradjuri Country in the Central West of NSW, approximately 45 kilometres west of Orange, Manildra Solar Farm supplies clean, green energy to Energy Australia." 
False Claim Absolutely, that "clean, green energy " rubbish.
Clean was NEVER about energy generation as there is No such thing. Clean was always about cleaning up the Environment. Why Are You POLLUTING Our Environments Murray Darling Basin Food Production Catchments. Simply because that is how you Operate, isn't it gov.au Federal, State and Local.
Green was Never about energy generation. Green was always about growing Trees Trees Trees employing en masse Green Armies still not offered all over Australia. In its place are Infrastructures Made Offshore Using Cheap Cheap Cheap Labour.
I need this Nonsense to Stop being RE transition over Our Precious Farmlands including Our, Australians Ours, Precious Murray Darling Basin Food Production Catchments.
Cease and Desist Solar Farms and BESS, including Manildra Solar Mod 3 to include battery 60MW/240MWh - Uh-oh!! Ban BESS Now, Today, This Day, Now.
Search Assist
The Moss Landing fire occurred on January 16, 2025, at the Vistra Energy Storage Facility, which housed one of the world's largest battery storage systems. The fire was caused by a thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries, resulting in significant environmental concerns due to the release of toxic metals into the surrounding area.
https://www.facebook.com/61550817174792/posts/scientists-confirm-heavy-metal-contamination-after-the-january-2025-moss-landing/122269056344027239/
https://www.dankolaw.com/blog/the-2025-vistra-battery-fire-in-moss-landing-one-year-later/
https://www.siliconvalley.com/2025/02/14/monterey-county-residents-sue-vistra-others-for-damages-due-to-moss-landing-battery-fire/
You don't Care about What you Eat but I DO. I need a Different government that Cares for Water, Air, and Lands Waterways and Communities Australian and World's.
Not one of you as gov.au Federal, State and Local understand Threat to OUR , Australians Ours, Precious Precious Precious MDB Food Production Catchments from RE transition Completely Unnecessary I on upon Our Our Our Precious Farmlands. I Only Eat Organic and Australian Grown Only to clean up the Environment and flow Pristine Waters one day,but Sadly, ever so Sadly, you choose a Hideous Future for Food Production Catchments, receding Uh-Oh.
Time this All Stopped isn't eh you as a gov.au Mob ah eh you as who in the region Wiradjuri havin' a say without a Authority over all of you Restructuring The Land Itself Globally nb.
Yeah, Globally. Yeah, Globally. Yeah. Yeah. Where is all the earth from for Panels No-one needs in on upon Earth, Her Her Her, under Threat from Billionaires fooling around with a Planet nb and then bribing Money to climate change people, ignorant and a Threat to The LAND, Itself yes yes yes.
Infrastructures En Masse Globallt nb are Profit Making Enterprises eh.
What suffers you never ask eh. Who are you ? Who gave you Permission elsewhere on Earth to Take Away Her to be used Incorrectly nb meaning - for No reason - when Alternatives exist and do eh, yes they do.
Watch Out Boogey Man about eh. Surely you know about them don't ya. You should, whoever you are giving Permission over Wiradjuri Lands to those Multinationals eh. You have No right at all, whoever you are.
Whoever you are. Whoevers you are. Watch Out Boogey Man about. Where ? Orange to the Murray is where of course.
Banpu Energy Australia was incorporated in 2019 and the company owns 167 MW of solar through the Manildra and Beryl solar farms (pictured above), and has plans for more solar, its first Australian wind projects and pumped hydro storage.
Um....Thai. Read That. Thai. Note That too.
ARENA - Supporting the global transition to net zero emissions, eh!! Bullshit. Net Zero is A Scam. A Scam. None of you Care for COUNTRY, none of ya.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/infigen-energy-follows-the-sun-in-us-and-australia-47055/
Old article but a interesting read - you know Marketing jargon. Nothing about Care for Country Appropriately Land Management, but Claims of lowering greenhouse gas emissions uh uh uh uh who makes this Stuff up, and Renew Economy believes it !!!! So do Too many who don't Research Impacts on on on OUR OUR OUR AUSTRALIANS OURS PRECIOUS FARMLANDS that include Our Precious Lands Murray Darling Basin covered in JUNK, toxic, fire risks too, some leave for others to deal with, hm. Yeah. Not one of you Cares for your Fellow Australians forced to put up with neighbours destroying Our, Australians Ours, Farmlands, just for Money!
Here's a Solution. Yes, a Solution.
ALL Solar panels Now from now in Australia go On Rooftops Only From Now, 2nd July 2014 nb. 2nd July 2014. Get It? We could have Finished All this Nonsense RE transition back then by using Rooftops Only for all wind and solar energy generation for HOUSEHOLDS nb, and coal or gas would have been the baseload backing our Manufacturing. Nah. None of that, eh you pathetic bunch of politicians past present - Pathetic. It's all gone to China hasn't it, eh Aussies.
"The big three retailers have had a 3-4 year window to defer decisions on renewables.
It’s like a lot of industries in Australia, the food industry with Coles and Woolworths, the banks, there are plenty of examples of concentration and impact on competition and independent players like ourselves. We already sell our product to two of the three big retailers in Australia. We see that as just one of our channels to market. To deal with the concentration in ownership, our approach is to get own retail licence, which we did. We can deal directly with other wholesale participants to market. So far we have been doing well with that. The surplus has created a situation that LGC prices are so low, there is no commercial incentive to invest in new developments. It is a logical commercial behaviour on the part of the retailers."
EnergyAustralia is an electricity generation, electricity and gas retailing private company in Australia. It is one of the "big three" retailers in the National Electricity Market, enabling a Thai company access to Our Precious Lands - Ours. Ours. They are Ours !!
AGL, Origin, EnergyAustralia have No Care for Country nor All On Country nor any Fellow Australians and I Demand they Cease and Desist access to OUR PRECIOUS MURRAY DARLING BASIN FOOD PRODUCTION CATCHMENTS because Rooftops have Always been there to Use for Electricity generation for Households nb.
I am Tired of you AWFUL people playing around with Infrastructures that COST All On Country Lands Waterways and Communities Australian and World's and you don't give a damn about anyone or anything here on Earth as long as you what - make a Profit Oit of ALL, you Greedy Bastards !
You there, gov.au there, you there need to Pay Us Back you Awful People Selling Our Nation Away and Making Us PAY. Sack yourselves. Shame On You.
The trouble is people don't know what poses a threat until it is. Water is Precious. When will you Know that.

Objection Submission – Manildra Solar Farm Modification 3 (BESS 60MW/240MWh)
Applicant: Manildra Solar Farm Pty Ltd / Banpu Energy
Planner: Nestor Tsambos
DPHI Reference: MP10_0122-Mod-3
Due: 05/03/2026

To the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI):
We are lodging our formal objection to this Modification 3 proposal to incorporate a 60 MW/240 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the Manildra Solar Electricity Generating Works.

This objection is submitted with the utmost concern and urgency.

1. Absolute Necessity for Proper Exhibition and IPCN Scrutiny
It is wholly unacceptable for DPHI to attempt to fast-track this BESS project as a “modification” rather than requiring a full exhibition under the Planning Portal, including proper Independent Planning Commission Notification (IPCN) scrutiny.
Manildra Solar Electricity Generating Works has NEVER included a BESS in its development consent.
This is not a minor adjustment—it is a fundamental expansion of scope that materially alters the project’s risks, environmental footprint, and social impacts.
Modifying an existing consent to bypass public exhibition is irresponsible, misleading, and procedurally improper. The community, landowners, and relevant stakeholders have not been provided a meaningful opportunity to evaluate this entirely new and inherently hazardous infrastructure.
DPHI must immediately require a full public exhibition for this BESS project, including updated Environmental Impact Statement regarding all aspects eg. Social Impact Assessments, Bushfire and Hazard Assessments, Toxic Contamination and independent risk analyses.
Anything less constitutes a deliberate circumvention of democratic and statutory planning processes.

2. Flawed Social Impact, Bushfire & Hazard Assessments
The Social Impact Assessment (SIA), Bushfire Assessment, and Hazard Analysis provided are, frankly, desktop “GIGO” exercises—Garbage In Garbage Out—designed to justify fast-tracking a dangerous project for the benefit of vested interests, including global CCP-aligned supply chains and predatory investors.
These assessments are irresponsible, inappropriate, irrelevant, and misinformed, ignoring real-world, long-term, cumulative impacts on human health, public safety, biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and water security.
They are clearly written to support an agenda—the ASEAN Power Grid and globalist energy profiteering, not the public interest or ecological sustainability.

3. Toxic, Hazardous, and Irreversible Environmental Impacts
The proposed BESS presents extreme hazards to life, land, water, biodiversity, and the public:
Chemical hazards: Hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, hydrofluoric acid, heavy metals, Bis-FASI PFAS contaminants.
Fire hazard: Lithium-ion BESS are a known source of inextinguishable fires, releasing toxic plumes lethal to humans and wildlife.
Agricultural contamination: PFAS, heavy metals, and chemical leachates from BESS and industrial solar panels permanently poison soil and water.
No effective recycling or decommissioning plan: There is no bond or guarantee that contaminated land or water will be remediated; responsibility will fall to landowners and local councils.
Short lifespan: BESS lasts only 10–15 years, offering short-term energy storage that is inherently unreliable, further compounding environmental and financial risk.

4. National Security, Economic, and Ethical Concerns
Components are CCP-reliant, with supply chains controlled by our most hostile geopolitical actor.
Some devices are remotely hackable, introducing national security risks.
No genuine risk assessment or regulatory framework exists to ensure public health, safety, or ethical sourcing of components.
The economic licence is forged, and the project fails to comply with any rigorous Environmental, Safety, or Ethical standards.
There is no social licence, as the public is not factually informed, gains no meaningful benefit, and the BESS infrastructure actively undermines energy security, food security, biodiversity, and economic productivity.

5. Fundamental Failures of BESS Technology
Lithium-ion BESS cannot provide reliable, on-demand power, nor do they contribute synchronous inertia essential for grid stability.
Their integration does not reduce energy prices and creates economic distortions.
The ISP (Integrated System Plan) used to justify these investments is widely discredited, fatally compromised, and not independent.
Net-zero schemes and BESS proliferation are being abandoned globally due to their highly hazardous nature, along with their economic and technical impracticality.

6. Cumulative, Irreversible, and Life-Threatening Impacts
Already present heavy metals leaching from unethically sourced, PFOS-coated solar panels at Manildra will compound the BESS hazards, guaranteeing irreversible contamination of land, water, biodiversity and the public.
Thermal runaway, fire, or structural failure of the BESS will release forever chemicals, toxic smoke, and carcinogens, threatening public health and local ecosystems.
No remediation bond exists, and adequate public liability is attainable beyond $50 Million in Australia for neighbour victims - unjustly being subjected to harmful industrial electrification that has no place whatsoever midst healthy food production.
The decommissioning and land/water contamination/pollution burden will inevitably fall to the gullible, local landowner Host and Cabonne Shire Council under the POEO Act when these dodgy developers abandon the site.

7. Contradiction with Ecologically Sustainable Development & National Energy Objectives
This proposal is the antithesis of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) and the National Electricity Law (NEL) objectives:
It undermines energy security by being weather-dependent, intermittent, and short-lived.
It fails to protect biodiversity, soil, water, and Intergenerational Equity, instead creating irreversible hazards.
It enriches vested interests while burdening the public now and generations of the future with costs, liability, and risk.
It deliberately hides dangers under the guise of ‘renewable’ energy propaganda.

8. References Supporting This Objection
Independent, peer-reviewed, and journalistic sources consistently confirm the hazards and limitations of lithium-ion BESS:
Forever chemicals in lithium-ion batteries – The Guardian, 14/7/24
Moss Landing Battery Fire Toxicity – Nature Scientific Reports
Grid-Scale BESS Safety & Fire Risk – ResearchGate
CSIRO ActivFire® Advisory Note AN‑004 – Firefighting limitations of lithium-ion batteries
Commonwealth PFAS Ban – Regulatory status of hazardous chemicals, effective 1 July 2025
Patricia Adams, China’s Energy Dream, GWPF

9. Required Actions
DPHI must:
Immediately require full public exhibition for this BESS, including independent review and updated assessments.
Conduct a comprehensive risk audit of toxic, fire, public health, and national security hazards.
Halt any approval or fast-tracking of BESS under a modification until robust independent scrutiny is completed.
Investigate the legitimacy of economic licence and ensure compliance with environmental, ethical, and safety legislation.
Consider the cumulative and irreversible environmental impacts, including responsibility for decommissioning and remediation.

Conclusion
This BESS proposal at Manildra is an unmitigated disaster masquerading as a ‘renewable’ energy project.
It is short-lived, toxic, fire-prone, environmentally catastrophic, economically reckless, and nationally insecure.
It must not proceed under a modification!
Full exhibition, independent review, and public scrutiny are legally and morally required.
Failure to act exposes the public, environment, and national security to unacceptable, irreversible harm.

References:
*The Battery Storage Delusion
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/08/20/the-battery-storage-delusion-what-35-million-tons-of-industrial-effort-buys-you/

*’Forever chemicals’ used in Lithium Ion Batteries Threaten Environment, Research Finds 
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/jul/14/forever-chemicals-lithium-ion-batteries-environment

*Coastal Wetland Deposition of Cathode Metals from the World’s Largest Lithium-ion Battery Fire"
According to independent Experts this is actually worse than a radioactivity spill.
A lot of this very toxic stuff is not easily located. Whereas, with radioactivity, one needs just a hand-held Geiger counter to locate the pollutant.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-25972-8#Tab1

*Safety of Grid Scale Lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Systems
“The scale of Li-ion BESS energy storage envisioned at “mega scale” energy farms is unprecedented & requires urgent review. The explosion potential & the lack of engineering standards to prevent thermal runaway may put control of “battery fires” beyond the knowledge, experience & capabilities of local Fire and Rescue Services. 
BESS present special hazards to fire-fighters..
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352158070_Safety_of_Grid_Scale_Lithium-ion_Battery_Energy_Storage_Systems

*Grid Scale Batteries & Fire Risk
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/656f411497ae14084ad8d03a/t/66fd2383b56dbc6906390297/1727865736681/Fannon-Batteries.pdf

*Disaster at Moss Landing: The Risk of Battery Storage - YouTube - 16/1/25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuTaZFQA18E

*https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/02/20/massive-green-battery-plant-catches-on-fire-again-weeks-after-major-toxic-blaze/

*https://localnewsmatters.org/2025/02/13/environmental-tests-reveal-elevated-levels-of-toxic-metals-since-moss-landing-battery-fire/

*https://www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea/article/environmental-tests-reveal-battery-metals-around-20163514.php

*https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/elevated-levels-heavy-metals-elkhorn-slough-lithium-battery-facility-fire/

I absolutely object to the sneaky, underhanded proposal to circumvent due process by attempting to add a filthy, extremely hazardous, life threatening 60 MW / 240 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to the obnoxious Manildra Solar Electricity Generating Works under Modification 3.

This submission is lodged with the utmost concern for public safety, environmental protection, and procedural integrity.

1. Strong Objection to Fast-Tracking as a “Modification”
It is entirely unacceptable for DPHI to treat this BESS as a mere modification rather than a new, stand-alone project requiring full public exhibition.
The Manildra Solar Electricity Generating Works has never included a BESS, making this a fundamental change, not a minor adjustment.
Attempting to bypass proper exhibition, IPCN review, and independent scrutiny is procedurally improper, misleading, and disingenuous, denying the community the opportunity to assess a project that introduces serious new hazards and environmental risks.
DPHI must require a full Planning Portal exhibition, including independent technical, environmental, and social impact assessments, before any approval can be considered.

2. Inadequate and Misleading Assessment Reports
The Social Impact Assessment (SIA), Bushfire Risk Assessment, and Hazard Analysis provided are grossly inadequate, inaccurate, and disingenuous:
They rely on desktop modelling only, ignoring real-world fire, chemical, and environmental risks.
Social impacts are seriously under-assessed, failing to account for solastalgia, community stress, property value impacts, and potential health consequences.
Hazard analyses ignore known thermal runaway, chemical release, and PFAS contamination risks, giving the impression the BESS is far safer than it is.
These assessments appear designed solely to fast-track a project serving globalist, CCP-linked supply chains, rather than to protect the Australian public or environment.

3. Environmental, Health, and Safety Risks
This BESS represents a toxic, fire-prone, and environmentally catastrophic infrastructure project:
Chemical hazards: Hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrofluoric acid, heavy metals, Bis-FASI PFAS, and other “forever chemicals” pose lethal risks to our lungs, soil, water, and wildlife.
Fire hazard: Lithium-ion batteries are prone to thermal runaway, producing inextinguishable fires that release highly toxic plumes.
Short lifespan: The BESS is designed for 10–15 years, providing only short-term energy storage that cannot reliably stabilise the grid.
No recycling or decommissioning plan exists; without a secure bond, local landowners and councils will be burdened with irreversible contamination liability.
Cumulative toxicity: Existing heavy metal and PFOS contamination from industrial solar panels at Manildra will compound the risks, creating permanent damage to land, water, biodiversity, public health and safety.

4. National Security and Economic Concerns
BESS components are CCP-dependent and hackable remotely, introducing serious security vulnerabilities.
The project is financially speculative, with licences and approvals appearing forged and inadequately scrutinised.
No comprehensive public health, environmental, or economic risk assessments have been conducted, despite well-known hazards.
The proposal fails to deliver energy security, grid stability, or public benefit—it enriches private and foreign interests at the expense of Australians.

5. Deficiencies in Technology and Energy Contribution
Lithium-ion BESS cannot provide reliable, on-demand power and fail to contribute synchronous inertia critical for grid stability.
The ISP, used to justify such projects, is discredited, compromised, and not independent.
The project will increase costs for households and industry, creating energy poverty without delivering meaningful climate, environmental, or economic benefits.

6. Contradiction with Ecologically Sustainable Development
This project directly violates all four principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD):
Environmental protection: introduces irreversible contamination and toxic hazards.
Social equity: imposes health and safety risks on local communities without consent.
Economic viability: delivers no net benefit, creates massive liability, and enriches private and foreign interests.
Intergenerational equity: leaves permanent environmental and financial burdens for future generations.
It also defies the objectives of the National Electricity Law, undermining energy security, food security, biodiversity, public health, and national sovereignty.

7. Demand for Proper Exhibition
DPHI must not allow this BESS to be approved via a modification:
Full public exhibition is required, including updated and independent Social, Environmental, and Hazard Impact Assessments.
A thorough risk audit must evaluate toxic chemical hazards, fire risks, supply chain vulnerabilities, and national security implications.
The project must include a binding bond for decommissioning and remediation before any approval is granted.
Community concerns must be genuinely addressed, not ignored through misleading desktop modelling or disingenuous assessments.

8. Conclusion
This BESS proposal is highly dangerous, environmentally toxic, economically reckless, and procedurally improper.
It is an attempt to circumvent the law and community scrutiny, serving globalist interests rather than the public good.
DPHI must require full exhibition and independent review.
Failure to do so would constitute gross negligence in the protection of public health, safety, and the environment.

STORAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR 100% EASTERN AUSTRALIAN GRID SCENARIO -
“Pursuing this grand dream of “Renewable Energy Superpower” for Australia is, to use a term of Mark Mills, “an exercise in magical thinking”. Put simply, it is time that this nonsense ceased.
Similarly, as far as I am able to determine, no relevant Australian government authority has performed and made publicly available any analysis that provides any indication whatsoever, in a
readily understandable way, such as how many “Big Batteries” will be required in Eastern Australia, how they will be sourced and paid for, what are the energy requirements for their production, the waste disposal and CO2 emissions resulting therefrom, where these batteries will be sited, and, given their relatively short service life, how they will be recycled and re-used.
It beggars belief that none of this absolutely necessary preliminary, investigative work seems to have been addressed by the relevant Australian Planning Authorities.
Pursuing this grand dream of “Renewable Energy Superpower” for Australia is, to use a term of Mark Mills, “an exercise in magical thinking”. Put simply, it is time that this nonsense ceased.
Paul Miskelly
4 March 2024
e: [email protected]

*The inability of 'BATTERIES' to contribute to system strength and stability.
The parlous state of the Australian Grids, and how therefore, AER are NOT properly addressing their responsibilities.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/01/16/update-on-australian-netzero-efforts/

*”Coastal wetland deposition of cathode metals from the world’s largest lithium-ion battery fire". (Moss Landing Fire.)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-25972-8#Tab1

*The 'Sunk Cost' Trickery That Makes Renewables Seem Cheaper Than They Are - 23/07/2023.
https://www.fresheconomicthinking.com/p/the-sunk-cost-trickery-that-makes?utm_medium=web
How CSIRO justifies the exclusions:
But wait, this deception is so brazen and transparent…
Tens of billions of dollars of projects are explicitly excluded from the cost of integrating renewables.

*Energy Transition Masquerade: The $360 Billion You Pay - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0NKDozvO58

The Government has no measures to protect new energy sources from malicious actors.

As Patricia Adams so aptly states in China's Energy Dream -
“Carbon dioxide reduction only makes sense for those China wishes to harm & supplant." 
https://www.thegwpf.org/content/uploads/2021/12/Adams-Chinas-Energy-Dream.pdf

* CCP-tied group is quietly fueling US-based climate initiatives: tax filings
'Environmentalists fueled by China are promoting policies that would increase our dependence on China'
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ccp-tied-group-quietly-fueling-us-based-climate-initiatives-tax-filings

*Chinese hackers are determined to ‘wreak havoc’ on U.S. critical infrastructure, PBS News - 2024
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/chinese-hackers-are-determined-to-wreak-havoc-on-u-s-critical-infrastructure-fbi-director-wray-warns

*China-linked Belt and Road company involved in Australian net-zero projects sparks security concerns - 17/10/2025
https://tanea.com.au/en/china-linked-belt-and-road-company-involved-in-australian-net-zero-projects-sparks-security-concerns/

*Rogue Communication Devices Found in Chinese Inverters
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/ghost-machine-rogue-communication-devices-found-chinese-inverters-2025-05-14/

*Beautifully Hackable - Irina Slav on Energy - 12/8/24
https://irinaslav.substack.com/p/beautifully-hackable?utm_campaign=email-post&utm_source=substack

*U.S Blacklists Chinese Battery Giant
“These batteries are used in electric vehicles here in Australia”
https://www.skynews.com.au/opinion/us-military-is-concerned-america-blacklists-chinese-battery-giant-over-military-links/video/765e12fec5e3b837a5e606e40371a7f9

*Australia’s Climate Ambitions have a Modern Slavery Problem - ASPI
examining the origins of our big batteries'
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/editors-picks-for-2024-australias-climate-ambitions-h

*Crying Shame inside the Demise of Australia’s only Battery Maker
https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/crying-shame-inside-the-demise-of-australia-s-only-battery-maker-20250901-p5mrl4

I object to the Manildra Solar Farm Modification 3 project.
Why is our government forcing FIRE HAZARDOUS infrastructure and UNRELIABLE energy on our nation at the expense of rural Australia?!?
Save the land that supports and produces food and fibre for Australia. Put these elsewhere! Stop bowing down and bending over to the EVIL powers of the WEF.
These projects are destroying rural Australia and will send future generations broke!!

I object to this project. Explore a reliable form of energy such as nuclear. Explore a cleaner form of energy such as nuclear. Solar and BESS are too dangerous for the environment. Solar and BESS presents significant fire risks.
The toxic run-off from such infrastructure associated with solar factory farms will be damaging to nearby properties and wildlife.
These projects bring with them too many detrimental and dangerous issues pertaining to the environment, visual amenities, health to livestock and wildlife, and health and safety to neighbouring properties.

Contamination and Waste Management are issues that are being swept under the carpet. It’s time government stop putting renewable energy targets ahead of the nation’s public health and food security. Please see attached for details:

The physical footprint of this project will permanently industrialise a substantial area of Mayfield West, so how can land of this scale ever truly be restored to its original condition?

The risk of PA contamination entering soil or groundwater through leaks, accidents, or fire events has not been clearly addressed, so who will monitor and remediate impacts over decades?

Contaminated run off during heavy rainfall or firefighting events poses a serious environmental concern, so what happens if containment systems fail under extreme conditions?

The project footprint appears to have increased after initial Major Works portal submissions were approved and then modified, so at what point does expansion require an entirely new assessment?

No public meeting or community consultation has been held prior to submissions being called, so how can genuine community awareness be claimed?

Developers appear able to progress and enlarge proposals while residents struggle to keep up with technical documentation, so where is procedural fairness in this process?

The potential PFAS risks associated with battery infrastructure and fire suppression systems have not been transparently detailed, so who can guarantee there will never be long term contamination?

The risk of PA contamination entering soil or groundwater through leaks, accidents, or fire events has not been clearly addressed, so who will monitor and remediate impacts over decades?

Contaminated run off during heavy rainfall or firefighting events poses a serious environmental concern, so what happens if containment systems fail under extreme conditions?

This is not a proper exhibition. When it id a substantial change a new exhibition is warranted.
This is not being transparent with the population

This solar farm modification constitutes a substantial and material change to what was originally exhibited to the public. The inclusion of a Battery Energy Storage System was never part of the original exhibition documents, assessments, or community understanding. The footprint, operational characteristics, risk profile, fire management requirements, noise generation, and potential contamination pathways associated with a battery installation are fundamentally different from those of a standalone solar farm.
A Battery Energy Storage System introduces additional infrastructure, altered environmental impacts, and different safety considerations that were not assessed or scrutinised during the initial exhibition period. The community was not given the opportunity to consider or respond to these impacts because they were simply not presented at that time.
Given the scale and nature of this modification, it is not a minor amendment but a significant expansion in both scope and intensity. The addition of a Battery Energy Storage System changes the character of the development and materially alters the environmental and safety assessment framework.



This absolutely and unequivocally warrants the project being placed on a new public exhibition so that the community can properly review, understand, and respond to what is now being proposed.

The proposed modification to the approved solar farm represents a major and consequential alteration to the originally exhibited development. A Battery Energy Storage System was never included in the initial public exhibition, documentation, or impact assessments. The public was consulted on a solar farm only, not on a combined solar and large scale battery installation.
The introduction of a Battery Energy Storage System significantly changes the project footprint, operational risks, fire safety requirements, noise profile, and environmental considerations. These are not minor technical adjustments but substantial additions that alter the nature and intensity of the development.
To characterise this as a simple modification is misleading. The original exhibition did not contemplate battery storage infrastructure, nor were the associated impacts placed before the community for review. The addition of such infrastructure fundamentally transforms the proposal.
This level of change clearly warrants a fresh exhibition process. The community must be given a full and fair opportunity to examine and respond to the revised proposal in its entirety, as it now differs materially from what was previously approved and publicly exhibited.

I am worried about the fires that Lithium _ion batteries can create. I am also concerned about the proximity to the Township of Manildra. Concerned that this is a Modification instead of going through more rigorous BESS requirements.
Currently these fires i have been informed are not able to be contained with normal fire fighting extinguishers. Concerned that any smoke from fires can be toxic
Thank you

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.
CONFIDENTIAL:
I object because Solar and BESS projects are too damaging to the communities, landscapes, environment and animals. what happens when they catch fire? How will the noise from BESS impact livestock and native wildlife? Not only are they dangerous, they are an absolute eye-sore. Let's put these closer to the cities so all the NIMBYs can marvel at what their vote has given them. Leave our landscapes alone and our government needs to do better.
Noting the Livestock Producer Assurance accreditation application, they recognise and acknowledge that agricultural land WILL BE POISONED by batteries and solar panels. Given this significant fact, these projects should NOT go ahead as they compromise our food security and environmental safety.