Wagga Wagga farmers warn solar farms could damage the region’s prime agricultural land. Photos: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
As the Federal Government propels towards its net-zero emission target and multiple projects in the pipeline for the Riverina, local farmers say solar farming shouldn’t come at the expense of the nation’s food bowl.
Several Wagga Wagga farmers have expressed concerns about what they say is a lack of proper consultation and the long-term agricultural and environmental impacts of these projects.
They are hosting a free community forum on Tuesday (18 March) to educate the public on how solar farms will affect the region.
Karen Masson, a beef farmer from The Rock, lives next door to the planned $5 million solar farm and a battery energy storage system at the Burkes Creek Road project.
She has criticised what she calls a lack of community input and poor notification timings, raising concerns about environmental impacts and excessive foreign ownership in the region.
“These projects are being pushed through too quickly … and the overall push is coming from federal targets for net zero, and it feels like they’re ticking boxes rather than considering the community,” Ms Masson said.
“In the strategic plan for Wagga, the government wants to promote the area, calling it the heart of the food bowl of Australia – a place with great rainfall and valuable farmland. But at the same time, they’re selling us out.”
Ms Masson said the Rock farming community had been blindsided by the project, which was led by South Australian company Green Gold Energy.
“We found out about the Burkes Creek Road project a week before Christmas, right in the middle of harvest. We had very little time to object, and the council was closed over the holidays so that we couldn’t discuss the development properly,” she said.
“The DA (development application) document was over 100 pages long, with many gaps. We had to wade through all this technical data and scientific reports. We’re not silly people, but it took a lot of time and effort to gather ourselves and submit a response to try and halt something they claim is out of our hands.”
Mick Henderson stands in front of prime agricultural land proposed for solar farming in Maxwell.
Ms Masson said the farmers were frustrated with Wagga Wagga City Council’s actions, suggesting it might have unintentionally pushed the project forward without fully considering the objections.
“No-one wants to assume it’s deliberate or that they’re trying to push it through quietly, but you can’t help but feel that way,” she said.
“One of the group members approached the council and asked if we could submit a general letter requesting an extension of time, but the council said each individual person needed to submit a request.
“We then all came together and submitted individual requests for an extension. We went to local members Dr Joe McGirr and (Federal Member for Riverina) Michael McCormack, who met with the head of the council, and we were granted the extension.
“When you make enough noise and push a little harder, things start to happen. We’re hoping for that – we want a little more progress.”
Wagga Council said it fulfilled all its legal requirements in terms of informing landowners of the project and giving them a chance to provide feedback.
“The exhibition documents contain all relevant information that is required to inform residents and landowners of the development,” a spokesperson said. ”The pre-lodgement details are contained within part 1.4 of the Statement of Environmental Effects.
“The application was notified in accordance with the provisions of the Development Control Plan 2010 and the Environmental Planning & Assessment Regulation for the required statutory 14-day period. Letters were sent to surrounding landowners and details of the application were published on council’s website. In addition, an advertisement was placed on the subject site … additional time was granted to allow for the preparation of submissions.”
Tuesday’s forum is set to feature Grant Piper, a farmer who has long opposed renewable energy projects, and Aiden Morrison, a data scientist and physicist who works for think tank the Centre for Independent Studies.
Another local farmer, Don Kirkpatrick, said Mr Morrison would simplify complex issues related to the energy transition, exposing “lies and misinformation” that the public often didn’t understand.
“Aiden is a very good speaker with a very compelling argument,” Mr Kirkpatrick said. ”He’s not anti-renewables, but it’s all part of a bigger picture of piecing the whole puzzle together.
“It’s well worth coming along to on Tuesday evening.”
Loading ...The farmers say they aren’t opposed to renewable energy, but believe it should be developed in the designated Renewable Energy Zones (REZs), which are equivalent to modern-day power stations. These areas are identified for their abundant renewable energy resources, such as wind and sun.
“NSW has five designated REZs, but Wagga is not part of it. The Southwest REZ is 200 kilometres away on flat country, where the sun shines more consistently than here,” Mr Kirkpatrick said.
“By contrast, Wagga has a 600 mm rainfall zone supporting highly productive farmland. The further west, with only 300 mm of rainfall, the land becomes less suitable for farming.”
Mr Kirkpatrick said that while NSW’s large-scale solar energy guidelines suggested that projects should not proceed on high-quality agricultural land, that was “precisely what is happening here”.
“People in the city don’t fully understand the impact this will have on food and fibre production,” he said.
”Ultimately, whether you believe in man-made climate change or see it as part of a natural warming cycle, the reality is that we are going through a warming phase.
“It stands to reason that we must preserve our productive land for an ever-increasing population. We may find that we need this land down the track.
“The argument is simple: no matter the cause of the warming cycle, we must protect the best land and the higher rainfall zones, and focus our energy transition projects in the designated renewable energy zones.”
Mick Henderson, a former councillor, resident, and landowner at Maxwell, also raised his concerns over the proposed expansion of the State Government’s Maxwell Solar Farm initiative.
“It’s increased from 800 acres out to 2600 acres now,” he said. ”They start small and they grow. Because it’s the government’s renewable energy system, they’re placing the solar farms everywhere.
“There was just another one released at Gregadoo, and we’re going to have over 5000 acres of solar farms on the southern side of Wagga, which is just on prime farmland.
“It will affect the community Wagga economy; there will be less livestock and fertiliser use. So it’s a short-term win for a long-term loss.”
Region reached out to Green Gold Energy for comment, but did not receive a response before our deadline.
The free community forum will be held on Tuesday (18 March) at the Wagga Wagga Boat Club from 6 pm to 8 pm.
