Submission objecting to the Canyonleigh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) being granted a planning permit or in any way proceeding to construction.
1. A thriving, prosperous economy, requires a reliable, constant supply of low cost electricity.

2. The Canyonleigh BESS (CBESS) is a dishonest project, that will only result in extremely high priced electricity, created by a combination of unreliable, intermittent, solar, wind and storage BESS. The extremely high priced electricity, will create economic blackouts, because the electricity will be too expensive for domestic, retail and industrial users.
3. The CBESS does not generate any electricity itself. The CBESS is a parasitic Battery complex that operates by taking in electricity at times of (rare) excess generation by wind and solar. And releasing it, when demand exceeds generation, of wind and solar. It is seen “That because of the intermittent and unreliable nature of wind and solar resources, this creates the need for a second ‘back-up’ capacity to support any supply gaps”.
This statement alone clearly sets out. That by needing to have two “electricity systems”, one to generate and one to store and release, electricity, it immediately means that infrastructure cost alone means any electricity produced will too expensive for either domestic or manufacturing consumers to afford. Because of their intermittent and unreliable nature of electricity production, (because of an unreliable supply of ‘weather’ fuel) solar farms and wind farms. Should never be considered as an economic or dependable electricity generator for supplying baseload electricity to a modern electricity grid. To add a BESS to the mix, does not produce one MWh of power and actually loses 16% of the power, having to convert it from AC to DC current going into the BESS. And again converting the current via Inverters from DC to AC current when transferring out of the BESS.
4. This Canyonleigh BESS 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.
5. This Canyonleigh BESS 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 CBESS will be abandoned. Further if the CBESS 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.
6. Importantly this Canyonleigh BESS 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 would not water bomb the CBESS because of the risk of explosions The risk to surrounding rural residents is frightening.
7. As well this Canyonleigh BESS has made no financial provision for the dismantling and restoration of the site. Or the cost of the disposal of the toxic, batteries and associated toxic junk. This is why this Canyonleigh BESS is not a net contributor to the electricity generation system or a viable economic proposition and should never be built.

Why would you think that destroying the environment and putting a potential environmental disaster., that being BESS battery facilities anywhere at all. Has the disposal of the waste been thoroughly addressed. NO IT HAS NOT. Has the facility been totally costed? Who will be stuck with the clean up for a contamination and the disposal. Is this project getting subsidised. When the subsidy runs out, will the company run out as well?

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:

While large batteries do not generate electricity, their energy storage provides very expensive electricity.
The risk of toxic fumes, the result of a chemical fire, impacting people in and around Marulan is an unacceptable risk to human and animal health. While big battery fires occasionally occur, when they do they are devastating and the risk to human life is so server that they should not be used at the scale proposed.

I object to the proposed Canyonleigh Battery Energy Storage System near Goulburn due to serious safety, environmental, and amenity concerns. The risk of lithium battery fires and potential release of toxic gases poses a danger to nearby residents and emergency responders, especially given the site’s rural location with limited firefighting resources. Clearing native vegetation, runoff impacts, and long-term contamination risk threaten local wildlife and waterways. Noise from cooling systems, lighting, and the industrial visual impact will reduce rural amenity and likely devalue surrounding properties, while the community receives minimal direct benefit despite bearing the risk. I request a more rigorous independent safety assessment, full consultation with RFS/CFA, and a detailed emergency management plan before any approval is considered.

The Canyonleigh BESS is a highly toxic, ridiculously expensive industrial-scale experiment that places dangerous, unproven ideology ahead of practical energy security.

The project will torture electricity consumers with ever increasing costs, depends on insecure imported junk and fails to provide any continuous 24/7 electricity generation.

Rural communities, agricultural land and critically endangered box gum woodland should never be used as testing grounds for poisonous energy experiments.

This BESS is toxic junk that will leave a permanent scar on the environment and contribute to permanent loss of critically endangered woodlands. Fire, thermal runaway, cumulative impact to the local community, serious and irreversible impact on the environment, cost to the electricty consumer and taxpayer should ensure this project is rejected. Alas it appears that emissions reductions targets are more important than electricity consumers, residents, taxpayers and the environment. I bet the emissions calculations on this project leaves out plenty. STOP wrecking the environment.

There must be a lot of profit in this for the foreign developer, I see no benefit for domestic electricity users or taxpayers. At the end of the day (less than 10 years) where will the foreign owner be when the BESS is no longer profitable or requires replacement components? This project will only deliver more land fill, less electricity (4 hours during peak...at best and to how many homes???) , greater fire risks to the community and more destruction of the immediate environment and the environment in which the components are mined.