Whitehaven Solar Farm

Potential contamination of the Namoi River catchment through runoff from solar panel coatings (Pfas ) and infrastructure. Heavy metal leakage from solar panels, including lead and cadmium, poses a long-term environmental risk. how is the developer ensuring this dose not occur ?

Heavy machinery used for construction may compact soil, reducing its long-term agricultural viability. Water & Contamination and endanger flora, for example Tailing Midge Orchid.

Replacing productive cropping & grazing land with Whitehaven’s Toxic Contaminating Solar 20MW Electricity Generating Works + 10 MWh BESS is an irresponsible, environmentally harmful & serious/irreversible Public Health & Safety disaster which will result in toxic wasteland.

The wider water system will be contaminated as the ephemeral creeks & drainage lines onsite flow into adjacent Kurrajong Creek - a tributary of the Namoi River Catchment, which covers an area of about 42,000 square kilometres - within the Mullaley Sub-basin, which forms part of the larger Gunnedah Basin.

Retaining 19.52 ha of carbon sequestering native vegetation as well as avoiding partial clearance (removal of trees/shrubs) of approximately 2.87 ha of native vegetation must be prioritised over such a detrimental plan as this which makes bogus claims about emissions reduction.

Whilst Whitehaven’s Coal mine is a worthy pursuit for far superior, reliable, affordable, plentiful, secure, 24/7 Australian power, this Solar/BESS plan is a destructive, incapable, subsidy sucking rip-off which WON’T WORK MOST OF THE TIME!

There is absolutely no way that the
operational life of this fragile, weather dependent Solar + BESS Factory is 50 years, nor is there any essential up front DECOMMISSIONING & REMEDIATION BOND to ensure this RenewaBULL JUNK will not be left as a degraded, toxic pile of electrical JUNK - forever burdening the Narrabri community.

Who will be held responsible/liable for the life-threatening, Industrialised Toxic Solar FIRES & BESS BOMB EXPLOSIONS when carcinogenic, teratogenic, poisonous smoke envelopes the district - especially when NSW RFS refuse to answer the most basic questions from neighbour victims of Industrialised Solar & BESS & the “CSIRO Verification Services' ActivFire Scheme advises its stakeholders that it HAS NOT AND WILL NOT certify, and thus provide a Certificate of Conformity, that any fire extinguisher can effectively extinguish a Li-Ion battery fire.”??
[Advisory Note AN-004 Extinguishment of Li-Ion Battery Fires.]

Why are dodgy NSW DPIE/DPHI & complicit IPCN ignoring all the Reputable, Independent Experts, the Engineering Facts, failing to require Scientific Determinations, bereft of Integrity & Ethics, as they persistently approve these unethical, Life Threatening, Public Health & Safety disasters based on underhanded fudgery, persisting in just ‘trusting the developers’ - enabling these predators to import unethical, unregulated components - only accredited by the Vested Interest CEC = Fake Green Solar/Wind Industry itself.

Why are DPHI & IPCN so determined to torture the Public & burden Local Councils/Community with their RISKY ‘MORAL HAZARD’ EXPERIMENTS that they know full well are TOXIC & UNETHICAL?

TWO NEW PRECEDENTS HAVE BEEN SET by Oxley Bridge Rd Uranquinty Solar Determination 24th Nov 2022 -  NEW MODERN SLAVERY CONDITION & AMENDED STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN (re CONTAMINATION.)

PPSSTH-149 - DA22/0122 - 1268 Oxley Bridge Road Uranquinty 2652
https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/planning-panel/electricity-generating-works-solar-farm-8 

[Hail Storm Photos & Industrialised Solar Contamination Risk to Our Reliably Productive Food Bowl at Bomen, Wagga Wagga Photo are included via this link also - the Hail Stones & some of the Fractured Solar Panels from the damaging 31st Oct 2020 event that left masses of broken Solar panels in situ for a shocking 10 - 11 months without Due Care  - with some panels still remaining fractured & leaching contaminating heavy metals years later!]

**Professor Ian Plimer's 3 minute presentation regarding Solar Panel Contamination Risks.

PPSSTH-149 on the planning portal:
 Electricity Generating Works – Solar Farm | Planning Portal - Department of Planning and Environment (nsw.gov.au)
[Once you’ve clicked on the link, please navigate to the URL link under Other menu (and also under Links menu) for the audio recording (the meeting officially begins around the 20 minute mark).]

1. NEW MODERN SLAVERY CONDITION- requiring proof prior to construction that NO Slave Labour supply chain components be used in construction. 
**New Condition Inserted C4A - Dealing With Modern Slavery.
Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act 2018

2. AMENDED STORM WATER  MANAGEMENT PLAN CONDITION  re-CONTAMINATION – QUALIFIED TESTING/REPORTING, CONTAMINATION RESPONSE PROCEDURE, etc.

**Amended Condition C8.
Prior to Commencement of Any Works - Storm Water Management Plan.
On Site & Discharge From the Site.
Testing Points & Regular Water Samples, Suitably Qualified Person.
Written Response Procedures if CONTAMINATION is Found - required PRIOR to CONSTRUCTION.
Availability of Results.

**The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has drafted an update of the PFAS Fact Sheet within the Guidelines that includes revised and newly established health-based guideline values.
The draft PFAS fact sheet is supported by a NHMRC Statement on PFAS in drinking water, which provides a summary of the findings that informed the update.  
The PFAS reviewed as part of the recent update include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS); perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS); perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS) and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid and its ammonium salt (GenX chemicals). 
Further information on the NHMRC Review of PFAS in Australian drinking water is available on the NHMRC website.

**World Health Organization now lists two PFAS as carcinogens or possible carcinogens: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as a Group 1 carcinogen and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as a Group 2B carcinogen.

**A range of PFAS is also subject to the Stockholm Convention for the protection of human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (ie, PFOS, PFHxS, PFOA and potentially all long chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids). 

**Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.
Taking over farmland to build facilities to produce intermittent energy is a violation of Article 2, Section 1(b) of the Paris Agreement (2015).
Article 2 1(b) of the 2015 Paris Agreement states:
“This Agreement... aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, including by:

“(b) Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development,  IN A MANNER THAT DOES NOT THREATEN FOOD PRODUCTION”; See: https://unfccc.int/files/essential_background/convention/application/pdf/ english_paris_agreement.pdf .

**Livestock Production Assurance Program
The particular question is 2.8 of the "Food Safety on Your Property" section. 

*”Do livestock have access to leaking electrical transformers, capacitors, hydraulic equipment, solar panels, wind turbines, coal seam gas structures or coal mine wastes?"*

- Yes
- No
- I am now aware and making plans to restrict access

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2147446775628698/posts/2222816628091712/ https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2222816628091712&id=2147446775628698

**’Forever chemicals’ used in lithium ion batteries threaten environment, research finds | Lithium-ion batteries | The Guardian 14/7/24
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/jul/14/forever-chemicals-lithium-ion-batteries-environment

**Unmasking the Toxic Truth - The Solar Panel Waste Story 
https://youtu.be/_Ck2dHflJ3s?si=0WS5CYhuCb6hNvP0

**Leaching Via Weak Spots in Solar Panels 
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348883160_Leaching_via_Weak_Spots_in_Photovoltaic_Modules
“Our long-term experiments clearly demonstrate that it is possible to leach out all, or at least a large amount, of the (toxic) elements from the photovoltaic modules. It is therefore not sufficient to carry out experiments just over 24 h and to conclude on the stability and environmental impact of photovoltaic modules.”

**Solar Realities - Physicist John Droz jr
https://election-integrity.info/Energy/Solar_Energy_Concerns.pdf 

**PFOS and PFOS-related chemicals are still being produced for regulated uses (primarily in China)”
https://greensciencepolicy.org/our-work/building-materials/pfas-in-building-materials/

** “PFOS Chemicals are just as bad for wildlife as they are for humans. 
Tests have found that even small levels of contamination can lead to compromised immune systems and brain asymmetry.”
https://www.completehomefiltration.com.au/difference-between-pfas-and-pfos/)

**WINAICO’s Glass-Glass Solar Modules are PFAS-Free - WINAICO Australia - 17/6/24
https://www.winaico.com.au/blog/winaicos-glass-glass-solar-modules-are-pfas-free - ‘in order to reduce harmful chemicals being released in the environment, to protect human health, ecosystems and wildlife from contamination, enable safe rainwater consumption and reduce Toxic Solar waste with a sustainable, reusable product.’

**COMMONWEALTH PFAS BAN
Some types have been found to be toxic to human health and the environment.
In its most definitive regulatory action taken to date, the Commonwealth has effectively banned the import, use and manufacture of some of the more prominent types of PFAS (PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS) from 1 July 2025.
(21 Feb 2024)

The project may limit future agricultural expansion in the area. Loss of farmland to solar developments sets a precedent for further industrial encroachment on agricultural regions. Ag land should be kept for food production.

Construction and operation activities can and may introduce invasive species, further damaging native and agricultural lands.

Solar farms increase surface temperatures, affecting local microclimates and potentially harming surrounding crops. Can the developer assure that this will be negated.

The disruption of Kurrajong Creek’s ephemeral waterways could affect water availability for agriculture. It most defiantly affect ground water.

The removal of vegetation increases soil erosion and decreases soil quality over time. This is a major problem in new installation. it is cost prohibitive.

Productive grazing and cropping land should be prioritised for food production, not industrial solar development. Electricity security should never be considered more important than food security.

This is a travesty partial clearing of 2.87 ha of trees and shrubs disrupts existing habitats. The native animal will be pushed to extinction. 2 examples are the Eastern bristle bird; is threatened by loss habit and the Sloane froglet, this frog is listed as endangered under the Australian epic act. its populatlonhave been recorded in low number in NSW

The Loss of 19.52 ha of native vegetation reduces biodiversity and impacts local ecosystems, will be absolutely detrimental to the area

I strongly object to this project and any project like it because of the following FACTS:
Wind and solar farms (which is a misnomer because both are anti-farming) are much more expensive than coal and natural gas. Why? James Taylor of the Climate Change Dispatch states in his article on the 4th of March, "A recent study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Energy, reports on the full-system levelized cost of electricity generation. The term “full system” is key.

Many entities have assessed what it costs utilities to purchase or produce electricity from existing sources and deliver it to customers.

These cost assessments, however, ignore the intermittency of wind and solar and how intermittency adds substantial costs to the entire electric grid.

The cost assessments also fail to account for how wind and solar projects cannot be built just anywhere and often require new, long, expensive, and inefficient transformation lines to deliver power from the generation locations to consumers. This also adds substantial costs to the overall electric grid.

The peer-reviewed Energy study analyzes these factors and presents an apples-to-apples cost comparison of the full-system cost of wind, solar, coal, natural gas, and nuclear power.

The verdict is devastating to wind and solar power and explains why most of the world prefers to build coal and natural gas power plants." https://climatechangedispatch.com/peer-reviewed-study-confirms-wind-and-solar-are-far-costlier-than-coal-natural-gas/

Further, solar farms, just like wind farms would NOT be operating if it were not for government subsidies and power purchase agreements: "The second most important government intervention are federal subsidies, tax credits, and complicated tax provisions called tax-equity financing, which subsidize about 50% of the building costs for a wind or solar farm.

Mandating the purchase of renewable electricity changes the nature of the market for renewable electricity. Without the mandates, the owner of a wind or solar farm is doomed to beg utilities to purchase electricity for far less than it costs to generate. The farm would soon be bankrupt.

But with mandates, the utilities are knocking on his door begging for renewable power that they are mandated to purchase, without regard to the price. Renewable portfolio laws change the market from a buyers’ market to a sellers’ market." https://climatechangedispatch.com/why-fossil-fuels-beat-renewables-on-costs-reliability-and-economic-impact/

Solar Farms, like wind farms and Lithium Battery Storage Containers not only are unreliable, but they are all an extremely high fire risk, especially when they are connected to the high voltage transmission lines. Why? Because as the ABC NEWS reported, 6 out of the 11 2009 Black Saturday fires that took 173 lives and did untold damage and destruction throughout Victoria were caused by high voltage transmission lines.

What was the cause of the deadly Black Saturday fires?According to an ABC News article dated the 2nd January 2024, “Six of the 11 most catastrophic Black Saturday bushfires were started by high voltage electric powerlines. The state's regulator says power companies didn't do enough to mitigate risk ahead of what is predicted to be the state's most dangerous bushfire season in recent years.” As Victoria's bushfire season looms, one powerful reminder of Black Saturday hangs in the air - ABC News.What was the cause of the recent catastrophic Los Angeles fires?On the 5th of January 2025, CNN reported, “California’s second-largest wildfire was sparked when power lines came in contact with a tree, Cal Fire says” that was written by Sarah Moon. Later in the same article, Sarah reported that PG&E who owns the power lines that caused this fire was also responsible for and found guilty of “85 counts, including involuntary manslaughter and unlawfully starting the Camp Fire, the deadliest fire in the state’s history.” And sadly, that is not the end of PG&E’s transmission lines causing fires. PG&E were charged in two criminal cases where they were charged with five felonies, 28 misdemeanours, involuntary manslaughter, unlawfully burning forests, structures, causing bodily injury etc.And what was PG&E’s response in both criminal cases against them? They denied any “criminal wrongdoing”, even though they agreed that it was their transmission lines which caused the deadly and destructive fires. California’s second-largest wildfire was sparked when power lines came in contact with a tree, Cal Fire says | CNNLiberal mismanagement in California was also cited as being responsible for “the worst wildfire seasons in recent memory” California Wildfires: Liberal Leadership's Costly Mismanagement ExposedLabor is no better. Just read this quote from Shadow emergency services minister Richard Riordan on the 1st of Oct 2024, where he stated on Sky News 'Huge potential for disaster': Allan govt slammed for failing to ensure all wind turbines have fire suppression technology | Sky News Australia:“Mr Riordan said that about 80 per cent of all deaths and property losses from fire stem from electrical blazes caused by power, transmission or distribution systems, and there were now 1,500 wind turbines in the system with another 900 planned.“This is a huge potential for fire risk,” the shadow minister said”
Why are the 240km of proposed high voltage transmission lines such a high and unacceptable bushfire risk?

Just over sixteen years ago, on the 7th of February 2009, 6 out of the 11 Black Saturday fires that took 173 lives and did untold damage to property, livestock and wildlife, were started by high voltage transmission lines. This was such a devastating, large scale catastrophe that a Royal Commission was called to investigate why these fires happened and how they could be prevented in the future - VBRC_Summary_PF.pdf, Remembering Black Saturday - 15th anniversary | Emergency Victoria.

Cameron Stuart of Brittanica.com on the 20th of January 2025, described the horrific, catastrophic, devastating Black Saturday fires in detail:

"On February 7 Victorians were told to brace for the “worst day” in the state’s history: weather forecasters warned of a record heat wave with temperatures soaring to 115.5 °F (46.4 °C), combined with gale-force winds of up to 56 miles (90 km) per hour. That day more than 47 major fires erupted across the state, 14 of them claiming lives or causing significant damage. The most deadly conflagration, known as the Kilmore East fire, which claimed 121 lives, was sparked by a faulty power pole near the township of Kilmore East, 37 miles (60 km) north of Melbourne. The flames quickly jumped a major highway and roared into a forest, where they turned into a giant fireball, dwarfing the resources of local firefighters, who could only flee in its path. Aided by steep slopes and powerful winds, this fire raced through a series of townships, including Kinglake (where 38 people died), Strathewen (27 perished), and St. Andrews (12 were killed), catching residents by surprise and trapping many in their homes. Some sought to escape by car as the fires approached, but dozens died on the roads as they were overtaken by the fire, which leapt 330 feet (100 metres) above the tree line and was powerful enough to kill with radiant heat from nearly 1,000 feet

Late in the afternoon a sudden change in wind direction pushed the fire to the northeast, bringing new towns into its path. A parallel fire, known as the Murrindindi fire, also blew to the northeast, swallowing the unsuspecting tourist town of Marysville, where 34 people lost their lives. Fire experts said that these two fires alone released energy equivalent to that of 1,500 atomic bombs like the one dropped on Hiroshima, Japan."


It is because of this that I feel the local Councils, State and Federal government that are involved in pushing renewables like Marinus Link in Tasmania, wind turbines (both offshore and onshore) and the high voltage transmission lines are potentially putting themselves at an extremely high risk of being found culpable before a coronial inquest, which I also feel would be very embarrassing to the Australian local, State and Federal government, given the "lessons learned" from the 2009 Black Saturday fires and what happened very recently in California.

Fire experts said that these two fires alone released energy equivalent to that of 1,500 atomic bombs like the one dropped on Hiroshima, Japan."

https://climatechangedispatch.com/australias-green-energy-strategy-is-misguided-misplaced-and-dangerous/

https://climatechangedispatch.com/why-fossil-fuels-beat-renewables-on-costs-reliability-and-economic-impact/

Stop destroying Australia’s primary farming land with these unreliable projects. There will be significant negative biodiversity impacts as a result of this project from clearing over 20ha of farming land in order to construct solar panels and associated infrastructure. What happens when this project catches fire? What happens to the nearby farming land when the toxic run-off spreads? What happens to the waterways and catchments after rain events when there is toxic run-off from the panels? This alone will have devastating and lasting impacts on nearby farming businesses.
It is criminal what our government is allowing to happen to Australia’s farming land.

Stop destroying rural landscapes and our environment with this dangerous infrastructure.
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. These solar and renewable energy projects carry significant fire risk and risk of toxic run-off.

I object to this project. Solar power is unreliable and not a suitable source of energy to power NSW. Why are rural communities being destroyed in order to power NSW? Rural communities did not ask for this, so we should not have to accommodate such projects. This will also have ugly consequences on the landscape. We need food security for Australia and destroying agricultural land is opening our nation up for trouble.

BESS is dangerous and brings hazards to the project and community.
The noises from this BESS project will have negative impacts on the nearby livestock and wildlife. These impacts will be evident in not only everyday life for the animals, but also during breeding and birthing cycles. BESS carries significant fire risk.

Why are renewable energy projects being dumped on rural landscapes? Why are rural communities left to fend for themselves as a result of bad governance and poor decision making? I object to this project because I do not believe that rural communities should house solar farms and renewable energy projects. Not only is this a ghastly and permanent sight on the landscapes, but this would be a disaster when it catches alight due to fire. The toxic implications as a result of this would be of such a significant level and not only the community, but the wildlife will suffer as a result.

This toxic solar panel factory is of a major fire risk and will put significant strain on local and rural firefighting services. These local firefighting services are not equipped with the resources or man-power to manage emergency fires for when they do break out at this site. Why should the community risk their lives and step up to fight fires for infrastructure that they never wanted there in the first place?

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.

I object to the Whitehaven Solar and BESS 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!
These projects are destroying rural Australia!!

This infrastructure is too dangerous to the neighbouring properties and communities. BESS and solar panel factories are a significant fire risk. 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.

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.

In consideration of the said Livestock Producer Assurance accreditation application, it is important to note that this project is located within the Mullaley Sub-basin, which forms part of the Gunnedah Basin. Also of significance is the fact that this project is 7km east of the Namoi River. The creeks and drainage lines onsite flow to the Kurrajong Creek, which is directly south, with the Namoi Catchment covering an area of about 42,000 square kms. This proposed industrial renewable energy site will expose a significant water catchment to toxic poisoning and disrupt critical farming operations, to the point of permanently destroying such businesses.
These projects are too damaging to the communities, landscapes, environment and animals. What happens when they catch fire? Not only are they dangerous, but they are also 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. Leave our primary producing farming land alone. Our government needs to do better.