After nearly a three-year fight from the community, the NSW Independent Planning Commission has conditionally approved plans for a 120 million dollar 100-megawatt solar farm to be constructed seven kilometres northwest of the village of Sutton.

Residents of Sutton and other nearby areas affected by the prospective project identified damage to local biodiversity and appearance as some of their major contentions to its construction.

The main concern however according to Sutton and District Community Association President Mark Burgess, is the extra traffic that the project will create for Sutton, which already struggles with heavy-vehicle traffic at its current level, due to its small causeway and winding roads.

“All of the development traffic is proposed to go through the village itself.”

“This is already an issue in our area, and with putting another 76 of these trucks per day on the road, it will create a significant safety issue.”

(See Yass Valley Times story No Solar without bypass for further information.)

Local resident Alistair Henchman & Sutton Community Association President Mark Burgess raised their concerns regarding the need for a bypass to reduce heavy vehicle traffic impact

The Springdale Solar Farm Project is expected to contribute 100 megawatts of energy to the National Electricity Market, enough electricity to power 37,000 homes.

Speaking at a recent public hearing, Nicole Brewer, Director of Energy Assessments with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment, described the project as “large scale” with around 260,000 solar panels at four metres high and a substation.

“The company’s said that the project will operate for around 35 years, but the proposed conditions allow that as long as the development footprint and height remain the same, infrastructure could be replaced or upgraded to take account of more efficient technology. In this case, the development footprint is 185 hectares…”

Developed and operated by global renewable energy company RES, the facility will be required to meet various vegetation screening requirements, as well as ensuring the protection of the habitat for the region’s endangered species such as Golden Sun Moth, Superb Parrot and Legless Lizard.

However, there were no requirements enforced regarding the creation of traffic, a decision Burgess could not believe was accepted after viewing the transport plans put forward by the developers.

“I don’t see how anyone can sign off on a traffic management plan, being confident that they are not endangering the safety of every road user that uses that road.”

“This is the cheapest and laziest option,” Burgess said in dismay.

Sutton resident and direct neighbour to the solar development Peter Gillett was emotional in response to discovering the plans were approved.

“Devastated.”

“The number of residents in close proximity, who are going to be severely affected, should’ve been enough to stop the project or reduce it in size,” he said.

“Devastated” – Peter and Geanean Gillet with grandson Matthew contemplate life living next to a 120m solar facility

In a media statement the Commission stated that it found on balance, “…the impacts are acceptable and capable of being appropriately mitigated through the measures required under the conditions of consent imposed by the Commission.”

Its Statement of Reasons for Decisions reads “The Commission is of the view that the Project is in the public interest.”

It added, “The Commission has determined that the Application should be granted consent subject to conditions which have been designed to: prevent, minimise and/or offset adverse environmental impacts; set standards and performance measures for acceptable environmental performance; outline how the land can be returned to its current use following decommissioning and rehabilitation of the site; require regular monitoring and reporting, and provide for the ongoing environmental management of the development.”

The Commission’s Statement of Reasons for Decision is available here

With road safety an issue that concerns all residents of the Yass Valley, let us hope that the RES developers will take every precaution in protecting the safety of road users in Sutton.

Max O’Driscoll

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