Stratford Pumped Hydro and Solar

I’m about to turn 18 at the end of this year. I am very concerned with all the large scale Solar that I see going up everywhere , will it give us reliable power and who will be left to clean it up. Will it be my generation that will be left to clean up??
Pump Hydro!, why are we wasting energy? Pumping water? Uphill? It just seems ridiculous. I hope that the people making the decisions make better decisions and bring us gas and Nuclear that will have less impact on the land less for my generation to clean up and more electricity, reliable and cheaper for everyone .

I hope more people have the courage to stand up against the industrialisation of our country , the Immense amount of farmland being covered in Solar turbines , batteries and transmission lines. It is a scar on our country and it is detrimental to the next generation. The junk that will be left to clean up.
Most know we must have Nuclear and gas to supply energy to an ever increasing population with immigration just this year being 500,000.

Pumped hydro is a farce, it uses far more energy and resources to pump the water up than it generates sending it down, I hope for some sense to come to our energy generation

We oppose reliance on untrustworthy, off-shore, ‘shell’ company developers & their dodgy, imported energy solutions like this plan, when we have abundant, efficient, natural resources available domestically that are FAR superior with minimal footprint.
We are being deliberately deprived & our voices as consumers are being ignored in policy-making, leading to decisions that do not reflect our realities.

The drawbacks of pumped hydro and industrial-scale solar are mounting, particularly when we consider the future we’re leaving behind. Pumped hydro requires immense amounts of water, a precious and often limited resource, to operate effectively. In arid regions, this strain on water supplies is even more concerning, given how energy-intensive it is to pump the water up, yielding minimal net energy gain.

Industrial solar farms, meanwhile, come with their own environmental baggage. They demand vast stretches of land and generate significant waste when panels need replacing. With both solar and hydro, there’s a hidden legacy of environmental junk—obsolete panels, discarded batteries, and spent infrastructure—that will fall to the next generation to handle. Instead of clean energy, we’re risking a landscape of discarded materials and depleted resources.

As a young person concerned about the future of reliable energy, the recent debacle in Broken Hill has made it clear that pumped hydro and industrial-scale solar simply aren’t cutting it. With the town enduring 40°C heat and batteries failing, people were left without power when they needed it most. Food spoiled, and vulnerable residents struggled in sweltering conditions. Solar and battery storage alone cannot consistently meet our energy needs, especially under extreme weather.

Pumped hydro, meanwhile, is a huge drain on water resources, which are already stretched thin in arid areas like Broken Hill. It also takes more energy to pump water uphill than is generated when it flows back down, meaning its actual efficiency is questionable. We need solutions that don’t just sound sustainable but deliver real reliability, especially in rural communities. The current system and backup batteries left Broken Hill stranded—proof we must prioritize energy sources that can meet demand all day, every day. Like nuclear and gas.

I object to Stratford PHES & Solar Electricity Generating Works as it’s based on FALSE PROMISES!
We are sick & tired of empty promises about renewable energy that fail to address our immediate needs for stable and affordable power.

This is a stupid use of water. Australia is one of the driest countries in the world. We are waisting resources when we could be using nuclear and gas.
Industrial size and sites of solar will never supply reliable power to us.

I object to the detrimental impacts of Stratford PHES & Solar Factory - devastating our ecology, biodiversity & Agriculture land.
Flawed energy strategies ruining our beneficial Coal Power supply & jeopardising our food production, threatens our energy security, food security, national security and rural economies.

Industrial-scale solar installations come with significant drawbacks, taking up large swathes of land that could otherwise support agriculture or sustain natural habitats. These sprawling solar farms displace local ecosystems and reduce available land for food production. They also only generate power when sunlight is available, making them unreliable and requiring costly storage or backup power sources to ensure consistent supply.

Pumped hydro projects are similarly inefficient and environmentally taxing. They require vast amounts of water and energy, as more electricity is needed to pump the water uphill than is produced when it flows back down. This process burdens already limited water resources and offers a minimal net energy gain, making it an unsustainable option for large-scale energy needs.

Reliable energy solutions like nuclear, gas, and coal offer more dependable and efficient alternatives. Nuclear energy, in particular, delivers consistent, high-output power with minimal land use, avoiding the massive environmental trade-offs seen with solar and hydro. Additionally, CO2 supports plant growth, aiding agriculture and helping maintain balanced ecosystems—a factor often overlooked.

This project destroys agricultural land,at risk biodiversity and the local community. It must not be built.

This will destroy the local environment. The solar infrastructure is toxic.

I object to the environmental destruction these projects cause.

STOP. DESTROYING. THE. ENVIRONMENT with these projects.

Stratford is the gateway to the beautiful town of Gloucester. Stratford is part of the Barrington coast which is an amazing region closely located to Sydney and Newcastle which enables these residents the pleasure of driving to the country for a day out or weekend camping.
The Chinese company Gloucester Coal ltd has already decimated the local farming area with the coal extraction and now want to devalue the whole stratford and Gloucester region by installing kms of solar panels at Stratford along the main road . By applying for this development they are making a statement that they don't care for the local community and the value of their properties.
This proposed Pumped Hydro and solar installation will totally devalue the farming regions property prices . One of these properties will be our family home. Gloucester Coal is not even owned by Australians, majority Chinese, they wont see the panel from China, shame shame you. They say it will give jobs for 3 years. The fact is the jobs will predominately be for non local workers. The submission is using this as an incentive to sell the idea which means nothing to the locals who own these farming areas. Gloucester Coal ltd have a history of not complying with the past relevant approvals and this will start the whole process again.
I would assume solar panels may be better suited to an area where it will not impact on hundreds of people and their property values. Maybe direct them to the middle of the dessert and 100 km from the main road so the eyesore cannot be seen.
How would a city property owner like tens of thousand of solar panels out their front window. I am sure this would not be acceptable. I would wonder if James MacKenzie wants it at his front door, has he stayed at Statford or Gloucester for a few days to embrace the beauty of the area. I assume he is just a money guy and hasn't really addressed the environmental impact on the area as the companies he boards are known for only lining their own pockets and neglecting the local communities.
In Brief this company does not care at all about the local communities. The proposal shows this by their total disregard for the area. The panels for the next 50 years will be a disgraceful scar on the region forever. Please keep the area beautiful, that is what we are trying to teach our children and the next generations. Once we destroy it it is gone. Progress does not need to destroy our beautiful landscape.
Under the coal approval they are meant to be monitoring and rehabilitation of the areas for the next 15 years. How can they attempt do do this with thousands of solar panels and grid systems.
Please stop this from being approved.

Malcolm Turnbull, aka “Malfunction”. How is his Snowy Hydro 2.0 project currently going? Can this hydro project be trusted in the Hunter region? NO, it can’t! Learn from the Malfunction that has proven to be a disaster.
Don’t destroy more land for stupidity.

Pumped hydro projects take up massive areas of land, often in rural and wild spaces, which has serious environmental costs. Building these facilities disrupts native vegetation, alters water systems, and consumes vast landscapes. This kind of development fragments habitats and threatens ecosystems that critically endangered species rely on, leading to even more pressures on biodiversity.

Similarly, industrial-scale solar electricity generation require large tracts of land, often destroyed fertile agricultural areas or natural habitats. These installations block out sunlight from the ground, affecting endangered plants and smaller species, and pose a threat to ecosystems already under strain. The panels themselves need frequent maintenance and eventual replacement, creating a cycle of waste that adds to the environmental impact.

Both pumped hydro and solar installations face the issue of inconsistent power generation. Hydro depends on water availability, which fluctuates with rainfall, and solar is only effective when the sun shines. As energy demands grow, these sources fall short of delivering the steady, dependable power that communities need, often leading to more reliance on backup systems and driving up costs. As the power outage in Broken Hill has highlighted this broken unreliable system.

Gas and nuclear energy stand as more consistent alternatives. Gas plants can be scaled up or down to meet demand, while nuclear energy provides a high, constant output with a small land footprint. Investing in smaller, modern nuclear plants could be a sustainable solution, combining reliability with minimal environmental disruption.

These projects are too destructive for the environment and nearby communities.

In light of the escalating issues in Broken Hill, the downsides of pumped hydro, industrial-scale solar, and massive battery installations are more evident than ever. These projects consume immense tracts of land, displacing native plants and animals, and threatening the delicate balance of local ecosystems. Pumped hydro strains water resources, which are already scarce, while solar panels and batteries require frequent replacements, generating hazardous waste and imposing further environmental risks.
They do not provide the energy generation that the modelling claims they do . Beyond the land use and waste, these systems are heavily reliant on intermittent weather patterns, leading to inconsistent energy supplies.

Nuclear energy, on the other hand, offers a stable, high-output alternative with minimal land impact and waste. By investing in modern nuclear technology, we could provide consistent energy to power communities while safeguarding natural resources and land that would otherwise be sacrificed. As the Broken Hill situation shows, it’s time to prioritize sustainable, reliable options over intermittent, unreliable costly short-term fixes.

Solar is NOT environmentally friendly, nor is it a reliable form of energy. Solar beings with it significant toxic and harmful chemicals that will negatively impact the surroundings.

I object to this nonsense and all destruction pertaining to this project.