I would firstly like to say that I am in no way against renewable
energy.

I'm was (and still am) absolutely devastated when I found out about
the proposed solar farm here in Sutton.
My husband and I have plans to build on my in laws property which is
elevated and over looks the proposed site.

Our plans are now currently on hold as we wait to see what eventuates
of the solar farm. To say our dreams have been crushed is an
understatement. Not only will it ruin our undisrupted views it is now
also a serious safety concern particularly for our young children.

I strongly object to the proposed Springdale solar farm in Sutton NSW.
I have many concerns as to why I strongly believe this is in no way a
suitable area for the solar farm.
Some of my concerns are...

~ Sutton is NOT in any renewable energy zones identified by the NSW
Government.
Why has Renew Estate chosen this particular area?

~ NSW Department of Environment, Yass Valley Council and the ACT
Government all SUPPORT this exclusion zone, to retain the rural
character of the region.

~ Mental health and wellbeing of the residents affected by this
development especially with the ongoing drought crisis.
It is having enormous impact on family life and tension within the
community. Have Renew Estate taken this into consideration?
and if so what plan have they got in place?

~ Heat island effect- Summer can be brutally hot in this particular
area, how can Renew estate guarantee we won't suffer from the
` heat island effect' ?

~ The lake effect - How will Renew Estate prevent the lake effect
particularly when it comes to their impact on threatened and en-
dangered species?

~ Maintenance - How will this site be maintained? And how often?

~ Enviroment - Renew have mentioned that there will be NO NEGATIVE
environmental implications. Solar panels absorb and reflect certain
types of radiation which prevents the soil beneath from cooling like
it would under a regular night sky which would then prevent grass
growing underneath the panels, erosion and water inundation as the
panels would block any type of sun light to help `dry' the area. How
will Renew Estate prevent this from happening to preserve the current
natural environment?

~ Visual Impact - The proposed planting's WILL NOT provide screening
for 20+ years, especially those on elevated property's, they will
NEVER benefit from the proposed screening. What are Renew Estate doing
for those residents that will NEVER get screening from it?

~ Renew Estate CANNOT guarantee there will be no glint or glare from
the solar panels.

~ Fire hazard - A 20,000 litre static water supply will be onsite and
is INSUFFICIENT for firefighting. What happens if a fire starts within
the fenced area as it will be surrounded by high locked fencing?

~ Renew CANNOT guarantee there are NO negative health implications as
a result to residing so close to the solar panels. What plan has Renew
got that if In 10 years time residents become ill from health
implications proven to be associated with the solar farm?

~ Renew have stated that LOCAL service providers will benefit during
the construction of the proposed site. On previous solar projects in
QLD, 457 visa workers were used. What's stopping this highly mobile
workforce from working on this project?

~ Safety - The current state of the surrounding roads are in no way
safe or suitable to handle the amount of high traffic volumes during
the construction process.
There are NO alternative routes mentioned nor any plans to upgrade the
road and this is a serious issue. The amount of cyclists and current
traffic can at times be incredibly dangerous particularly with the low
lying fog and wildlife. The large volume of heavy and oversized
vehicles driving (on extremely narrow roads) past schools, daycare
Centre etc. How is an oversized vehicle going to physically fit on
some of those narrow roads, Sutton bridge and colvert on Tallagandra
Lane?

I strongly object to the proposed site for the Springdale Solar Farm
development.

Growing up on a farm with endless space and unobstructed views of this
great land was not just any kids dream, it was my perfect childhood.
Now, being a father myself, I want my kids to share the same priceless
experiences and to develop the same understanding and appreciation of
the land that I hold. This dream is ever so close to fruition, but has
come to a grinding halt with this proposed development. The location
of our build on my parents farm is in a beautiful elevated position so
as to capture the beautiful surrounds. However, under the current
proposal, my family would look down upon and neighbour a glaring sea
of steel. A scar on our beautiful landscape. An unknown risk for my
kids. A detractor from the character, setting and ultimately the
cultural heritage of the area. This development would not be keeping
with the local surroundings and the Primary Production zoning for the
area.

My primary concerns, queries and objections are as follows:

-Being a strong advocate for sustainable living we would naturally
seek to maximise the north facing aspects of our proposed build - this
would mean we face directly at the proposed solar farm and
subsequently have a high rated visual impact. The proposal is visually
unacceptable. At eye level, the proposed screening for the solar farm
will be inadequate. From our elevated position any screening will be
non-existent.
-How much space will there be between the panels and the boundary
fencing? And will this be sufficient to allow the screening to
effectively mature?
-Will a watering system be setup for the screening plantations?
-If you intend to only use sensor lighting, how will this co-exist
with movements from grazing stock?
-What happens if a panel breaks? What plan do you have in place in
this event?
-Will the panels contain any lead?
-Will there be any exposed wiring?
-How will you maintain adequate grass cover beneath the solar arrays?
-How will the risk of glare to drivers be mitigated? These are narrow
unsealed roads with abundant wildlife. Any additional risk factor will
increase the likelihood of accident occurrence.
-How will the additional dust that will cover and reduce visibility on
the road be minimised during the construction phase? Excessive dust is
also detrimental to animal health as it can irritate eyes and increase
susceptibility to diseases such as blight and respiratory disorders.
-If sheep are used for grazing, how will you resolve the issue of
sheep getting caught in the wiring which has occurred on other solar
developments?
-Will there be permanent employees based at the site? If not, what is
the call out time?
-Will the solar panels be cleaned? If so, what is used in this
process?
-How will the natural water course be maintained during the
construction phase?
-What measures are in place to restore the land in the event of the
cessation of Renew Estate?
-The proposed site is on a bird flight path. There are reports that
birds wings have been burned by the heat from the mirrors. What
temperatures will the solar panels reach and will temperatures be
monitored?
-Will battery storage be used? If not, how will you avoid output being
spilled?
-Have you factored in the potential development of residences on
adjoining properties when conducting distance assessments for
inverters and substations and other associated risks such as EMF with
proximity sensitivities?
-How do you calculate the compensation for the adjoining properties as
a result of devaluation from visual impact, devaluation from noise and
devaluation from health concerns?

An alternate location for this proposed development is the only
solution.

The location of the proposed solar farm is simply inappropriate. It is in
an area that, because of the rapid growth of the ACT and Yass Valley
populations, may in the near future be needed for residential
expansion. Both the ACT and Yass Valley are thriving economically and
expanding. They are not like other rural and regional economies where
local communities have welcomed solar farming because this provides an
alternative to a declining agricultural base. Many towns in rural and
remote Australia are dying and are in need of the economic boost that
a solar farm might provide. The opposite is true for the ACT and the
Yass Valley and it is very short sighted to not consider where these
populations might expand to.
I am also concerned about the heat island effect of a solar farm of
this scale. As discussed in the EIS, PV panels can be 20 degrees
warmer than the ambient temperature during the day causing the
surrounding air mass to heat and rise. The EIS says that this would
not affect aircraft but there is no assessment of the impact on
neighbouring residents eg their increased energy costs (ironically) to
keep cool in the summer. I am also concerned that this heat island
effect will amplify the bush fire danger to local residents,
especially when combined with very low humidity levels and no pasture
for evapotranspiration. The recent outbreak of bushfires across NSW,
even though it is still winter and average daytime maximum
temperatures anywhere in the state do not exceed 18 degrees, is
portentous very difficult summer fire seasons to come. A 350 hectare
solar farm in close proximity to residents is an avoidable and
unnecessary additional fire risk.

On a final point, the EIS suggests that no more than 10 additional
light vehicles per day could be expected along Tallagandra Lane during
normal operation. I would dispute this. This does not take account of
increased traffic from motorists/tourists who simply want to divert to
view a solar farm, the size of a suburb, on their way to Canberra from
for example Melbourne. Solar farms out in western NSW have built
viewing platforms for travellers/visitors, such is the level of
interest. The irony is that those driving by the Sutton solar farm
would have no intention of stopping in Sutton or anywhere in the Yass
Valley - they would use the road, but not spend any money in the local
area.

I support the adoption of renewable technology and think this is a great
step in the right direction.

It seem obvious, that in 2018 clean green energy should be prioritized in
every possible way and in every possible location. I believe this
project is expected to power approximately 35,000 houses and save
123,00 tonnes of CO2 annually!

In a world with finite resources we need to be investing in renewable
energy options for both current and future generations. This part of
the country receives so much sunshine we need to be utilising this
energy.

This project will create employment opportunities for local contractors
as well as training.
Clean energy powering over 35,000 homes.

Submission re Springdale Solar Farm

Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission on this project.

As indicated by the overwhelming majority of climate scientists, human
induced climate change is a threat to our societies and natural world.

We are already experiencing more extreme events and they will in the
future become more dangerous to life and livelihood of virtually all
Australians. From more severe drought conditions. more catastrophic
fires and sea level rise, to the death of the Great Barrier Reef
corals and associated fauna, the effects are being seen today and will
have ongoing and more severe adverse effects in the future.

It is urgent that we, as individuals, companies and governments, do
what we can to reduce emissions in the electricity sector, as one of
the easiest sectors to achieve reduced emissions. Emissions reductions
will also need to be achieved in other sectors, but the technology and
financial advantage exists in the renewable energy sector now.

There are clear health benefits, for example, improving air quality in
local areas, as well as in Sydney, from reducing the use of coal as a
power source.

I understand that the project will enable the continued use of the
land for sheep grazing, will plant useful native species and conserve
habitat and riparian areas, and already has transmission lines passing
through the property. It has all the hallmarks of an excellent
project.

Australia is in a positive position to move forward in the renewable
energy sector and can gain positive and major economic benefits if we
support research and development to facilitate an export industry to
develop in renewables.

This solar farm will make a significant contribution to healthy
employment in the area as well as to state and national emissions
reductions.

While Australia's contribution to emissions is relatively small in the
global sense, Australia, to be a good global citizen setting a good
example, must be a contributor to building a more secure future for
both ourselves as well as people everywhere.

I strongly urge you to approve this project.

Kathryn Kelly

I like the swich into renewable energy and it is in a good region with
lots of sun which can help power surrounding regions. The move away
from fossil fuels is important for the future. I grew up in canberra
and always thought the solar farm in south of city was a great thing
and not an eye sore.

I support Springdale Farm. As I regard Global Warming as a very
signifiant threat to this planet, I feel we need as many large-scale
Solar farms, and other renewable projects as possible. I do not agree
that NSW should only have 3 areas in this very large state for
renewable projects -that is far too restrictive.
I appreciate that Renew Estate has consulted with Sutton Landcare
Group to draw up an extensive tree planting plan as well as plans to
rehabilitate the creek. This farm is actually in quite a debilitated
state so this can only enhance the farm environment . I would urge
Renew Estate to retain as many mature trees as possible to maintain
the bird population. I would also urge Renew Estate to improve the
quality of Tallagandra Lane to accommodate the inevitable increased
road traffic and not disadvantage local residents.