The establishment of the Springdale Solar Farm would be a sorely needed
boost for the Yass Region. Opportunities such as this that create
employment during construction and the ongoing running of the solar
farm, in this region, are few.
I feel that the regional areas are the key to Australia's requirement
for sustainable power and the solar farm at Tallangandra help the
smaller communities such as Sutton and Gundaroo.

We support the application for the proposed solar farm in Sutton. Not
only would we have a significant positive environmental outcome, but
the area is desperately in need of investment in local projects to
support job development and job progression.

I confirm that Hardy Bros (HBMCC) are in support of the Springdale Solar
Farm project.

I am aware of the Springdale Solar Farm project and am closely involved
in the ACT renewable energy community, and Australian National
University Energy Change Institute.

From my experience in the industry and academia, the Springdale Solar
Farm represents industry best practice - in terms of community
engagement and community benefits sharing. This is a far leap from the
early wind and solar projects which ignored neighbour and wider
community impacts.

The close proximity to the ACT provides substance to the ACT's carbon
neutral mandate - allowing the ACT's electricity supply to be truly
green rather than just in accounting terms.

For these reasons, I am highly supportive of the project.

I support the Springdale Solar Farm for the following reasons:
1. The farm will assist in the regeneration of pasture and native
vegetation destroyed by sheep. Heavy grazing prevents grasses from
setting seed, denying many small rodents, birds and insects this key
food source. Annual grasses can fail to regenerate. Studies show that
solar farms can assist in the vegetation and pollination of native
species, which in turn provide habitat for native fauna.
2. The Council and Community have the unique opportunity to work with
the Solar provider to create a biodiverse site supportive of both the
solar farm and the improvement of an already degraded site by
deploying a well-developed Biodiversity Management Plan. Studies and
former examples have shown that once operational, solar farms are
virtually silent and include no moving parts. This makes them ideal as
habitats for bird breeding through the planting of wildflowers and
nectar-producing flowers. Biodiversity is further increased because
native flowers attract insects, a food chain foundation, which
supports invertebrates, pollen-collecting fauna and provides
protection and cover for ground-dwelling mammals.
3. Because solar farms are fenced, they can provide a crucial "habitat
island" and protect native species from non-native predators, such as
foxes, rabbits and wild dogs. Similar to the fencing program being
introduced in the Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve.
4. The solar farm will have less environmental and visual impact than
urban development which will no doubt be proposed if it does not go
ahead.
5. Its development would ensure that Council had to update/maintain
the roads according to the Roads Standards Policy, which as all locals
know is currently not the case.
6. Greater focus on resources such as solar power will ultimately
benefit the community and the environment.
7. The objectives of the RU6 zoning is to "protect and maintain land
that provides a transition between rural and other land uses of
varying intensities or environmental sensitivities. To minimize
conflict between land uses within this zone and land uses within
adjoining zones". I believe that a solar farm has the capacity to
provide this, if the Council and Community come on board to work with
the company to create this and will actually ensure this better than
how the land is currently used, or as in the case of a subdivision and
housing.

This would be an incredible project and big step towards a renewable
energy future. I am thoroughly in support.

We write to support this project because: it would power 35,000 houses
annually with clean green energy and save 123,00 tonnes of CO2
annually; the project will create opportunities for contractors and
local employment, as well as training and scholarships; it will be
good for local businesses; opportunities for the community to
co-invest in the solar farm; and, there is a $100,000 community fund.

The project will allow continued use of the land for farming with all
the enhancement of pasture growth that shade4 cloth provides in summer
and winter. The pasture underneath the solar collectors will be
protected from the frost in winter and from the scorching sun in
summer.

The Gundaroo community is in sore need of the community fund with the
historic infrastructure relying almost completely on individual
donations and effort to maintain rapidly deteriorating infrastructure.
Neither the Anglican or Uniting Churches have a function toilet and
maintenance of buildings are a constant burden on very limited
finances.

It is important to have renewable projects such as this one to provide
for sustainable and economical power into the future. With the
improvements in battery technology, the power produced by this project
will be able to provide for on-demand requirements for a significant
part of the surrounding population. It will do its part to replace
coal-fired power generation into the future.

Objection to Sutton Springdale Solar development

I have family living in the Sutton area and I am regular visitor and
stay there very often. I am also an avid push bike rider in the area
and have grave concerns for road users in the area due to the
development.

The issues that I have concerns about include -

Traffic route -

* The proposed route to get workers and materials to the site, I
believe, is totally inappropriate and dangerous. I have lived in
numerous country areas and I have seen my share of road fatalities, I
believe allowing the types of heavy vehicles identified in the
Environment Impact Statement to transit through the Sutton Village and
access the site via East Tallagandra Lane & Mulligans Flat Road is a
recipe for disaster. As I also frequently ride my push bike on those
roads, I also believe the proposed route will endanger all road users
on the proposed route and pedestrians in the Village area.

The route proposed goes through a 40 Kph School Zone within the Sutton
Village near the Primary School and Pre School. Whilst I am advised
that it has been suggested that development traffic be restricted
during the School Zone hours, that does not take into account, before
and after school buses using the proposed traffic route and the
increased local traffic using the roads both earlier in the morning
and in the afternoons obviously going to and returning from work.
Other issues that will impact on the traffic is exiting the Sutton
Post Office onto Camp Street, the causeway from Camp Street onto
Sutton Road travelling north (on which I have had to stop numerous
times to allow trucks to cross) & exiting East Tallagandra Lane onto
Mulligans Flat Road. To cross the causeway travelling north trucks
need to cross to the wrong side of the road on Camp Street and then
take both sides of the road across the causeway. There is not enough
road for two-way traffic in that vicinity. Likewise, when exiting East
Tallagandra Lane onto Mulligans Flat Road, trucks will have to cross
onto the incorrect side of the road to navigate that corner, which is
blind to traffic coming from the Gundaroo side of Mulligans flat Road.
* My relatives' property is one of the 34 or more within two
kilometres of the site. The site is clearly visible from the front of
their house and yet the developer has not made direct contact with
them about that visibility at any time during the planning process.

The EIS states that, "they will not be significantly impacted because
there will be screening to mitigate the impact". In relation to my
relatives' property, that will be all but impossible due to the
elevation of their property in relation to the development.

I know that there are many other affected properties that are
similarly affected and I understand that the developer has not made
direct contact with them either.

* I am aware of the NSW Government's `Draft Large Scale Solar Energy
Guidelines'. I have reviewed the Guidelines and believe that this
development falls short on nearly every assessable issue. The only
thing that this site has is a land holder who was happy to do a deal
with the developer and a power line running through his property.

I could identify hundreds if not thousands of other properties across
NSW if they were the only pre requisites.

This site is also in a valley that is covered in fog for large parts
of the day, particularly in autumn and winter.

If these Guidelines are supported by the NSW Government, I question
how such a development could be considered for this site.

* I am also aware that the area is in a flood plain and I have
witnessed those floods at least three times in the past 10 years.

* Having previously lived at Forde in the ACT I am also very aware of
the proximity of the development to both the Mulligans Flat and
Goorooyarroo Nature Reserves. I have personally witnessed the myriad
of fauna in that vicinity and particularly along Mulligans Flat Road
that I believe will be affected by such a large development.

* I am also aware that Yass Council has determined to ensure a 5km
buffer Zone between NSW from the ACT. This development will be inside
that zone and is not consistent with the types of developments that
the Council envisages for that area. I am advised that the Council has
agreed to raise this as an issue with the NSW Government and I support
the Council's concerns with the development being located in this
area.

* I am also aware that the NSW has identified three renewable energy
zones in the state. This development is nowhere near any of those
zones, therefore it should not be approved.

* I know the site well and note that it is not level or flat, it's in
a valley and on undulating ground. Does the developer plan to grade
the land to make it amenable to the types of solar panels that they
are proposing? Such a process will have a significant impact on local
flora and fauna.

* I also note that a number of trees will be removed to allow the
development to proceed. This will impact on local birdlife and the
proposed plantings will not be a suitable replacement for many years,
likely too late to save any endanger birdlife.

For all of the above reasons I believe the NSW Government should
reject the development application.

I support the adoption of renewable technology.

As an engineering organisation, we understand the need for
environmentally sustainable power generation in our society, and see
this project as contributing towards that need. The projected long
term benefits for society outweigh any short term impacts, and we feel
the project should be allowed to proceed.
We do not see the complaints of the NIMBY brigade as having sufficient
validity to merit shutting down this project.
We do however point out the need for the continued maintenance of
services in the area, particularly roads that will be heavily impacted
during construction, and expect that the proponent and relevant
government authorities will ensure these issues are addressed properly
as the project progresses.