The proposed project is the most environmentally damaging of the alternative electricity generation methods. Not just at the local level but globally too. Wind, solar, BESS and pumped hydro projects require massive amounts of resources resulting in the destruction of wildlife ecosystems and threatened and endangered species. The project should not be approved.

The proposed project will negatively impact our energy and national security. The bulk of the components will be made in China, who is not only the world's increasingly higher greenhouse emissions country but has already used trade bans against Australia. This project will make Australia even more dependent on current and future supply of electricity components. Do not approve the project for the sake of our children and their children.

I object to this project. Until the Proponent can fully articulate how its project can, with a medium term capacity factor over 12 months of under 30%, be relied upon to provide electricity 24/7 in the quantities when needed then this project must not be approved. My property requires electricity to run 24 hours a day for my house and my farm operations. Getting electricity for 7.2 hours a day, or on some days zero hours, from this project or any similar project is just unacceptable and ridiculous. To claim the project will supply electricity for "x" number of households is blatantly false. Stop the green washing. Be honest and tell us your project is based on falsehoods.

Your sincerely
An Unhappy Australian

I cannot understand how something like this can planned on prime agriculture land . The whole area will covered in solar panels , rendering it useless for farming or grazing, not to mention fire hazard. When will someone listen to the everyday person we don’t want this in our back yard.

I object to this proposal - it is in a completely inappropriate location and should be in a more remote area, far away from local residents and township. The risk of fire is already a high probability prior to the implementation of this proposal. The proposed plans to fight a fire at this location and beyond its boundaries are not adequate. It puts the local residents and surrounding homes at risk for a catastrophic event. There is very little benefit for this solar farm for the local residents, even though there has been talk about putting money back into the community, the people who need to benefit are the locals who surround the site, this is not the case.

I support the project as a boost to NSW's renewable energy infrastructure to keep the lights on and reduce emissions . The Goulburn LGA does not host any such large scale projects to date and the community/neighbour benefits from these projects are substantial. I see a lot of positive work going into negotiating a decent benefit sharing agreement by many local people of good will and it appears the proponent is responsive. I understand that the Indigenous assessment with respect to special sites has been undertaken thoroughly and sensitively. Some of the opposition appears to be politically motivated, some arguments against the project constitute misinformation and come from people who are not in direct line of sight of the project. I think those directly affected visually should receive benefits and interventions that mitigate their concerns but do not derail the project. We live in the 21st century and should be building 21st century technology to address environmental concerns and climate change. Please approve this project with an emphasis on substantial benefit sharing & local jobs. I believe there is considerable support for action on climate change in the Goulburn electorate and LGA. It is the noisy minority that make change so difficult to achieve. I feel for the folks who are genuinely affected but there are mechanisms in place to negotiate compensation and benefits that far outweigh concerns.

Please refer to the attachment.

I question the fairness of the proposal.

We are Allan and Susan Christie, residents of the heritage property “Gundary Plains”- Circa 1914, 1013 Windellama Road Goulburn. We have lived here for 38 years, raising a family and now assisting with caring for grandchildren.
The Gundary homestead was the centre piece of a large rural holding. Over time the property has been divided into many small holdings providing a rural environment for families, hobby farms and farmers with small numbers of livestock, orchards and tree plantations, retirees living on off farm income are part of our community. The Gundary Plains is a quiet picturesque, peaceful place, a good place to live. BP Lightsource plan to change that!
For the last 2.5 years we as community have been struggling with BP Lightsource as they seek approval to establish a massive solar factory on our Gundary Plains. The factory will cover a huge swathe of our space with 750, 000 solar panels and supporting BESS battery storage. A massive 14-acre substation is placed right in front of our heritage property dominating our views to the North and violating our sense of space and appreciation of where we live and why we live here.

1. SEPP (Special Environmental Protection Provisions)
We enjoy the SEPP, the government’s own protection mechanism protecting the rites of residents living inside a 10-kilometre zone from the centre of Goulburn City. These provisions prohibit large scale industrial developments that adversely impact a resident’s sense of belonging, space and appreciation of the Gundary Plains. More than 2/3 of this development is inside the 10km zone. These provisions were upheld recently by the Land and Environment Court when BP Lightsource proposed and another solar factory inside the 10km zone of the city of Mudgee, the project was not approved!

2. Loss of Land Value
Licenced valuers on inspections have advised us to expect up to a 20% reduction in property value for Gundary Plains and that protracted listing times are inevitable. We have neighbours trying to sell with no interest, the solar factory is a major negative. This has created major hardship for them. Neighbours that have managed to sell have had to discount heavily. No compensation from BP Lightsource has been offered!

3. Fire
We are in a grass fire prone area. The solar installation will be fully fenced. A fire entering or starting on the solar farm will be very difficult to defend. The restricted space between rows of panels could easily trap firefighters with disastrous results. Our local R.F.S will not enter the fenced area, a fire driven by our intense North Westerly winds will move rapidly through the solar factory and create critical risk to the many residents on the Eastern Side. The Kooringaroo Road is a dead end, partially dirt with narrow crossings, it would not cope with firefighters entering and locals escaping. People will be trapped. Loss of property and possibly loss of life will result. The R.F.S have been highly critical of the BP Lightsource fire management provisions.

4. Heat Bank Impact
Scientists recognise the heat bank impact in summer months – we will be very close to the installation and substation. BP Lightsource have no right to impact our environment or our space by modifying local climate conditions.

5. Sydney Water
The Gundary Creek is part of the Warragamba catchment, the solar farm is adjacent to and encroaches on the on the Gundary Creek. Pollution of water resources in establishment, operation and deteriorating metal and cabling as well as panel over time will compromise water quality. A fire in the solar factory would be a disaster for Sydney Water releasing toxins into the water supply.

6. Physical and Mental Health
The past 2.5 years since BP announced this project have been devastating for our family. We have had to face the destruction of our deeply valued environment and our enjoyment of it. The impact on our general and mental health, as well as neighbours has been frightful. There has been no recognition of this by BP as if it doesn’t exist, let alone assistance.

7. Remediation and Decommissioning
The mining industry has clear guidelines on remediation and decommissioning, not so for the solar industry. Depositing funds to cover remediation is essential as the ownership may change many times over 30 years. The end owner may declare bankruptcy and walkaway. This leaves the local government and taxpayers with a mammoth bill. BP has made no specific commitment to rehabilitating the Gundary Plains.

8. Roads and Access
The Windellama Road on the Western side is a mosaic of repairs at the moment. The road needs to be rebuilt to take the 2 years of heavy transport in the establishment phase. Fifes Bridge is a serious big transport risk as it is narrow and on a blind curve. The bridge needs to be rebuilt and widened, and the road straightened to take the large trucks. Will B.P be providing finance for these works?

Summary
BP Lightsource’s attraction to our area is easy access to established transmission with taxpayer funded incentives and substantial profits. Pushing aside over 60 families living on or adjacent to the solar factory boundary and hundreds of others also impacted. This is a closely populated rural community of hobby farms, retirees, young families, living on small acreages enjoying a rural lifestyle. The government has a duty to uphold the provisioning of the SEPP and protect these people from inappropriate industrial style developments. The Goulburn Mulwaree Council is also against this development as it conflicts with council vision for future growth. This project needs to be moved to a more appropriate site where it respects the provisions of the SEPP and causes minimum disruption to the local community. And functions with maximum efficiency.


Allan and Susan Christie
Gundary Plains, Goulburn