This Toxic Merino Solar + BESS plan will inevitably deposit forever contaminants like silver, PFOS, Hydrofluoric Acid, Bis-FASI PFAS throughout its operational Life.

Leaching occurs 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.”

Independent research following major battery fires has recorded heavy metal deposition across surrounding wetlands and ecosystems.
Toxic residues can be extremely difficult to detect and remediate - if that’s even possible.

Coastal Wetland Deposition of Cathode Metals from the World’s Largest Lithium-ion Battery Fire" (Moss Landing BESS FIRE)
According to independent Experts this is actually worse than a radioactivity spill.
A lot of this very toxic stuff is not easily located. Whereas, with radioactivity, one needs just a hand-held Geiger counter to locate the pollutant.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-25972-8#Tab1

There is no equivalent publicly available modelling showing how such deposition would be prevented or contained in the Merino Solar/BESS context.
Assertions of “minimal regional impact” are therefore, unsupported with no evidentiary basis whatsoever.

There will be local jobs created and the project brings economic benefits for the community. For instance, there will be 500 jobs created during construction phase and another 10-12 jobs during operation. Thank you very much.

I believe the infrastructure is well planned and the community and future generations in Goulburn will benefit. Thank you.

I support this project as we need more renewable energy in Australia.

Industrialised Solar Fires are too toxic for RFS volunteers to fight due to the poisonous smoke that causes cancer and birth defects.
There has been a complete failure to date for the NSW DPHI, IPCN and Councils to acknowledge this with the necessary Conditions of Consent deliberately excluded from Approvals .

Where is Dubbo Council’s Land/Water Tests, Monitoring and Reporting by independent experts of the Wellington North Solar site and surrounding land/water - since the Solar Fire burnt 92 hectares of Solar panels on 6th December 2025?
The silence is deafening!!

Who’s checking if the neighbour victims - including adjacent/nearby poultry farms have also been contaminated by the toxic Solar smoke billowing over surrounding properties?

Lithium-ion Battery Storage Systems have demonstrated catastrophic and lethal Fire events.
Yet the misinformation, predator prioritising ABC hides these facts from the public.

Authoritative fire safety bodies acknowledge that current extinguishing methods are not certified to fully control lithium-ion battery fires.

Thermal runaway events release heavy metal particulates and lethal hydrogen fluoride gas that travels at least 5 kms.
Yet, shockingly, there is no transparent, worst-case plume modelling provided at all for nearby rural communities - with more than 194 homes within 4kms!!

Is this really a DE-POPULATION PLAN? ☠️

I support this project as it indicates the growth of renewable energy and the broader energy transition in Australia. Also, it will generate significant local economic benefits, creating jobs during constructions and 10-20 long term roles during operations.

To whom it may concern,
I am writing this correspondence to formally advise of my OBJECTION to the proposed Merino Solar Farm.

The proposed Merino Solar Farm represents a significant and inappropriate industrial intrusion into this rural setting. Its scale, location, and associated infrastructure pose unacceptable risks and impacts that have not been adequately addressed. My objection is outlined below.

1. SEPP (Special Environmental Protection Provisions)
The Merino Plains fall within close proximity to established residential and rural living areas that are intended to be protected under Special Environmental Protection Provisions (SEPP). These provisions exist specifically to prevent incompatible, industrial-scale developments from encroaching on sensitive landscapes and established communities.
The proposed solar farm directly conflicts with the intent of the SEPP by introducing large-scale industrial infrastructure—including panel arrays, substations, battery energy storage systems (BESS), fencing, and access roads—into an area that the planning framework seeks to protect.
At a minimum, SEPP boundaries must be strictly upheld. No industrial energy infrastructure should be permitted within designated SEPP zones, and approval of this project would undermine the purpose and credibility of those protections.

2. Asset Devaluation
Independent advice and community briefings have indicated that nearby properties may experience devaluation of up to 20% as a result of the proposed solar farm. This represents a substantial and unjust financial loss to residents who have invested heavily in their homes, land, and rural businesses.
These losses would be borne entirely by local landowners, while the financial benefits flow to a private developer. This inequitable outcome is unacceptable and highlights a fundamental failure to protect existing communities from disproportionate harm.

3. Fire Risk
The Merino Plains are a known bushfire-prone landscape, characterised by grasslands, high winds, and limited access routes. Introducing extensive solar infrastructure, fenced compounds, BESS units, and substations significantly increases both ignition risk and fire complexity.
Fenced solar sites restrict access for firefighting appliances and limit safe retreat options for emergency services. Battery storage facilities in particular pose unique and well-documented fire suppression challenges.
A major fire event within the proposed site would place local residents, neighbouring properties, and emergency responders at unacceptable risk—especially where road networks are narrow, rural, and not designed for industrial emergency response.

4. Health Impacts
Since the proposal was announced, many residents have experienced ongoing stress and anxiety regarding the future of their homes and community. The uncertainty surrounding property values, fire safety, and long-term environmental impacts has had a measurable effect on mental wellbeing.
Additionally, photovoltaic panels and associated infrastructure involve materials that can pose health risks if damaged, degraded, or improperly managed over time. Concerns remain regarding potential contamination of soil and water sources, particularly in a rural environment reliant on rainwater tanks, groundwater, and local catchments.
To date, the proponent has not provided adequate, independent assurances that these health risks are fully understood, mitigated, and monitored over the life of the project.

5. Access and Traffic
The proposed access routes servicing the Merino Solar Farm are not suitable for sustained industrial traffic. Local rural roads are narrow, lightly constructed, and heavily relied upon by residents, agricultural vehicles, and commuters.
Construction and ongoing maintenance traffic would increase safety risks, accelerate road degradation, and impose additional costs on local councils and ratepayers. Without significant and fully funded upgrades, the existing road network cannot safely accommodate the demands of this development.

6. Heat Bank Impacts
Large-scale solar installations are known to create a heat bank or heat island effect, whereby absorbed and re-radiated heat elevates local temperatures. This phenomenon is of particular concern in rural areas where natural landscapes previously moderated temperature extremes.
Increased local temperatures may impact residents, livestock, agricultural productivity, and native ecosystems. The proponent has not adequately demonstrated how these impacts will be avoided, mitigated, or monitored over time.
7. Compensation
The proposed development offers little to no meaningful compensation to neighbouring landowners who will experience loss of amenity, property value reductions, visual impacts, and increased risk.
Meaningful community benefit and compensation frameworks are essential where private developments impose long-term costs on local residents. The absence of such measures demonstrates a lack of genuine community engagement and accountability.

8. Solar Farm Decommissioning
Unlike the mining industry, the solar sector currently lacks enforceable, upfront financial guarantees for decommissioning and land rehabilitation. Given the proposed operational lifespan of 30 years or more—and the likelihood of ownership changes—this represents a serious risk.
Without mandatory rehabilitation bonds or trust funds secured at the outset, there is a real possibility that the site could be abandoned at end-of-life, leaving landholders, councils, or taxpayers to bear the cost of remediation.
Any approval must require legally binding, fully funded decommissioning and rehabilitation commitments.




Summary
The primary attraction of the Merino Plains for this project appears to be proximity to grid infrastructure, not suitability of land use. This alone does not justify imposing an industrial-scale solar facility on a rural community.
The Merino area is not vacant, remote, or industrial—it is a lived-in rural landscape supporting families, agriculture, and a valued way of life. Planning authorities have a clear responsibility to uphold SEPP protections, safeguard residents, and ensure developments are appropriately located.
This proposal is fundamentally incompatible with the character, safety, and long-term sustainability of the Merino community. It should be refused or relocated to a site that aligns with planning controls, minimises community harm, and represents responsible development.
Anything less would constitute a failure of sound planning and community protection.

I'd like to make a submission as I'm deeply passionate in supporting Australia accelerate the shift toward generation by renewable energy, enabling energy security by ensuring sustainable projects are built and commissioned on time to compensate for retiring coal infrastructure.

I believe in this project because it supports responsible land use and peaceful co-existence with agriculture. Thank you.

I support the project because clean energy matters