Panorama Battery Energy Storage System

Save Our Surroundings (SOS) objects to the proposed BESS Works in this project because there are still so many unresolved concerns about risks and issues involved with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), for instance:
1. Lack of research into the life-cycle of BESS
2. Resource intensive requirements
3. Involves slavery in mining and production
4. Environmentally damaging
5. Fire starting risks increased
6. Fire-fighting dangers increased
7. Local fire risks considerably increased
8. Expensive
9. Short life-span
10. Variable operation
11. Very little Australian content
12. Increased energy and sovereign risks
13. Roads and road travel are impacted
14. Electricity charging and air-conditioning requirements are high
15. Classed as hazardous goods
16. No certainty at end of the short life of a BESS
17. Increased dependency on intermittent electricity generation
18. Poor viability
19. Increase retail electricity prices.

Submission objecting to the Panorama BESS Project being granted a planning permit or in any way proceeding to construction.
1. This Renewable Factory will permanently pollute the farmland it is on. And it will rob the farmer, local community and Australia of the physical and economic agricultural value that the land could produce, as well as off farm job production. Not only for the working lifetime of the Renewable Factory, but for the coming 100 years and beyond. On a calculated value of prime beef production of $8,990 per hectare (June 2023). Over 100 years the economic loss per hectare, would be $898,412. Multiplied by the number of hectares of this Renewable Factory, (say 600? hectares) would result in a loss to the farmer, local community and Australia of $539.0478 million. This amount is a huge loss the farmer, local community and Australia, particularly with a multiplier affect of 5 in off farm job creation. It dwarfs the miniscule amount of electricity produced by the Renewables Factory and if added to the cost of the electricity produced by the Renewables Factory, it makes it unable to bid a reasonable to the Grid. It becomes unviable.
2. This Renewable Factory is completely unnecessary and worthless. This is because all the Federal and State Net Zero emission goals, Emission Reduction goals and Carbon emission limits on big polluters, are all a waste of money, effort, and will not reduce Global emissions by one iota. The reason is that while Australia’s emissions of Co2 are approximately 1.3% of the World’s emissions at the same time China emits 30% of the World’s emissions and is still growing. Any reduction in Australia’s emissions will be quickly replaced by China’s emissions.
3. This project is a grossly inefficient generator of electricity. Either a Solar Factory that only has fuel Sunshine to generate each day for a maximum of 8 hours a day, (with many days much less). Or a Wind Factory, where because of calm periods (wind droughts) or gales. The Wind Industry average calculation of electricity production per day is only 33% or 8 hours per day. Because of this abysmal amount of electricity production. The Renewables Factory is totally reliant on Climate Change subsidies and mandated energy retailer policies, without which it would never be built. Or if the subsidies, etc are removed this Renewables Factory will be abandoned. Further if it cannot afford the cost of building the HV Transmission necessary to connect to the Grid. It is ridiculous for electricity consumers and taxpayers to have to pay for the connecting HV Transmission Lines.
4. Importantly this Renewables Factory has not made adequate provision for the outbreak of a wildfire. Firebreaks are grossly inadequate and fixed water tanks are next to useless, particularly in BESS fires. In Victoria CFA fire fighters are refusing to enter Renewable Factories. Water bombers must stay five or more kilometers from Wind Turbines. The risk to surrounding rural residents is frightening.
5. As well this Renewables Factory has made no provision for the dismantling and restoration of the site. Or the disposal of the toxic, solar panels, wind turbines and associated toxic junk. This is why this Renewable Factory is not a viable electricity generator or a viable economic proposition and should never be built.

If our government was fair dinkum about sticking to the Paris Agreement, then they'd simply stop selling our coal/resources to countries who are going full steam ahead burning them, building coal fired power stations. The situation as it stands is nothing more than a money making venture for off shore/overseas companies, whilst the poor Aussie battler is taken for a ride.
Not renewable, not beneficial, not cheap, not safe, and certainly not honorable. AND definitely NOT helping the climate in any way! Australia as it is contributes somewhere between 1 -2% of global CO2 emissions. Yet we are selling to and buying back from countries with complete disregard for the environment. Until we stop supporting them with our resources which are needed to build this project we are no better than they are!!!

Not recyclable nor renewable. An environmental nightmare being passed to the generation who comes after us. This is not ok. Solar panels are toxic and DO NOT RENEW themselves. They will be landfill within in two decades... almost 1000 hectares of solar panels in this project alone, to be toxic landfill.

Why is it NOT ok to mine coal but it's perfectly ok to mine cobalt, lithium, nickel, manganese & copper just to name a few of the natural resources required to build these battery projects. I OBJECT to this project

The safety of the surrounding neighbours and the residents of Eglinton and Bathurst needs to be considered should there be a battery fire as the fumes are toxic. As battery fires are not only possible, they are probable and therefore this battery location is not appropriate.

Panorama Battery Energy Storage System
Bathurst Community Climate Action Network (BCCAN) is comprised of individuals concerned about the frightening impact of fossil fuel use upon the local and global climate. We advocate the rapid phasing out of fossil fuels and their replacement as energy sources by renewable energy.
There are a number of exciting renewable energy in planning or development in our region including solar and wind farms. However, without sufficient energy storage and transmission infrastructure, the increased generation of energy will not affect Australia’s reliance on fossil fuels when solar and wind resources are unavailable. Without sufficient storage, investment in wind and solar will be discouraged. For this reason, we, in principle, strongly support the construction of appropriate battery storage like that proposed for the Panorama Battery Energy Storage System (PBESS).
PBESS’s location near transmission lines and reasonably close to renewable generation sources, transport routes and in a location which is already environmentally compromised seems sensible.
BCCAN’s support for this project is based on the assurances of the developer that all the requirements of the approval especially in relation to noise & light pollution, fire risk and water impacts are met and that the relevant authorities carefully monitor compliance.

Hello, I refer you to my attached submission on BESS.

I am the property directly west of the property that will contain the Battery storage. My property details are Lot 57 DP 1121694 actual address is 403 Evans Plains Road Evans Plains 2795

From my reading of the report I see the Solarbank BESS containers have a height of 6058mm and I worked out where the Battery bank is to be placed. From my property I will be looking directly at this installation. I see also in the report clause 6.1.5 it refers to the “Visual impact” and it is mentioned about the possibility of tree planting to screen the visual impact from other vantage point.

I would like to register my concern re the Visual impact from my property, a site where I was planning to one day build a residence that would look directly at the facility.

Could I have my concerns taken into consideration in the planning of the facility and have included a planting of a tree screen on the west of the development.

This will be a great asset moving towards a renewable future.

I fully support the project,but as a resident of Evans Plains, and a regular and frequent user of all the affected local roads I have major concerns about traffic management.
1)Evans Plains/Dunkeld road is partly sealed only. The surface of the sealed section is in poor repair, and will not stand up to heavy use. The gravel section after rain becomes very rutted and slippery. When dry becomes corrugated with loose gravel. The road has no speed restrictions, and very poor sight lines. The road is not fit for the purpose proposed.
2) Stewart Street/Evans Plains road intersection is used by all local vehicles, including many school buses. When wet it becomes very slippery and unsafe.
3) Mid Western Highway intersection. The highway is very busy, very many heavy vehicles, including heavily loaded logging trucks travelling in both directions, with a 100 km/hr speed limit. Sight lines when entering the highway from Dunkeld are not sufficient for heavy vehicles entering, with no merging lane.
4)Entry to the work sight is on bend in the road, with poor sight lines, no turning or merging lanes, with a narrow bridge to the west.It is presently unsafe, with locals having witnessed numbers of “near misses.” It is totally unfit and unsafe for the proposed use.
Significant changes must be made to traffic management, and road infrastructure .
I am happy to discuss. Jim Blackwood. 0488 460 788