Solar farm plans divide Bendemeer residents

He moved into the village on the Macdonald River in the New England region of NSW in 2016, to escape "the hustle and bustle".

"This was our forever home," he said.

But plans for a solar farm submitted to the state government last month outline more than 400,000 solar panels could be developed on the hill opposite his property, visible out the front door.

Mr Walden said the solar farm had taken away the value of his biggest asset, and it will drive a wedge into the town.

"Bendemeer's a close knit community, or was," he said.

The small village is host to a 'Renewable Energy Hub', which includes the building of a solar farm and battery, and wind farm.

The solar farm with battery storage will be able to produce enough electricity to power 74,000 NSW homes a year, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 420,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.

Bendemeer Renewable Energy Hub project director Llewellyn Owens said the solar farm would aid in the transition from traditional fossil fuel power generation to renewable energy production.

The Labor government aims to make Australia's energy grid 82 per cent renewable by 2030, and the New England region is a 'Renewable Energy Zone' (REZ), however, a state government official advocating for electricity infrastructure jobs has called it "one of the hardest REZ's to establish", because of a vocal minority opposed to projects.

The Bendemeer Solar Farm joins a multitude of other projects across the region drawing criticism, such as the Hills of Gold wind farm in Nundle, Acacia Solar and Middlebrook Solar at Loomberah.

The federal member for New England Barnaby Joyce is among those against the development of wind farms, solar farms and transmission lines, calling it an "encroachment".

Elise Robinson, who resides on 70 hectares of land along the Macdonald River just hundreds of metres away from the proposed solar farm, feels "railroaded".

"Bendemeer is a beautiful place, and half the reason we bought here was our beautiful scenery, we have mountain views," she said.

"We don't want to have a wall of black, and we don't want the noise and the hours that they're going to be working - I just find that it's unfair that we have to put up with that."

Andrew Powell also lives in the vicinity of the solar farm.

He said there was an idea the project would go ahead for a while, but many residents didn't find out until it was a fair way through.

"I'm all for the different energy sources, but it's not the right spot," he said.

Mr Powell is worried poisons from the farm will spill into the Macdonald River and could affect the health of his child, who already has medical issues.

"We don't know what it's going do to people, it's too early in the mist," he said.

Mr Powell said his first meeting with the project developers happened just weeks ago, and real estate agents have said they could lose $150,000 to $200,000 off the price of their homes.

"What it is going to cost to put in [the solar farm] and what you're gonna get out of it is never gonna compute," he said.

According to developers of the project, $50,000 a year will be provided to a community benefit fund, and more than 300 jobs will be generated during construction.

Bendemeer resident Anne Doak has already seen the benefits of the project as the previous president of the Bendemeer Art Show committee.

The committee accepted sponsorship from developers which led to an increase in patronage, a boost to the prize money, and raised the profile of the art show, she said.

The potential for even more community benefits is welcome, she said, because typically, grants and council backing must be relied on.

"It's really hard, especially in this economic climate, to access funds to make improvements in our community," she said.

Ms Doak's property in Bendemeer won't be affected by the solar farm, but she supports the right of others to express their discontent.

However, Ms Doak believes the decision has already been made by the government.

"We're going to have coal-fired power stations closing down and there's nothing else to replace them besides renewables," she said.

"We need something now."

The closure of Liddell power station in the Hunter Valley in April led to improved air quality, but the timeline of shuttering Eraring is proving a challenge for energy reliability.

Bendemeer resident Peter Roffe believes it's inevitable there would be division in the community regarding the solar farm, but the climate crisis was the priority.

"In my eyes, if we get it wrong, we can't undo it," he said.

Project director Mr Owens said he would continue to engage with neighbours of the solar farm, and where applicable, offer neighbour agreements.

"The main point from our side is we've been through these very stringent, solar guidelines, and we're very comfortable we've exceeded those requirements," he said.

Mr Owens said they continued to address visual impacts, and the developers have been in the community for more than two years engaging with affected parties.

When it comes to fears about health, Mr Owens said there was no scientific basis that solar panels leeched any chemicals.

READ ALSO:

As for land values, Mr Owens said there would be an economic boost for a farm which hosts solar, pushing the value up, and that increase will flow onto the surrounding area.

There was no adverse impact on glare, he said, and extensive studies had shown there was negligible increases in water flow.

Sound was modified by developers to address requirements, but Mr Owens said the project was within guidelines.

During construction, the project will provide $162 million in economic output and $33 million in household income across the region, and during operation, provide $32 million of economic output and $3 million in household income, Mr Owens said.

"The delivery team here are local, and we have the interest to actually use this as a real potential to bring positive benefits," he said.

"Our intent here is to leave a really positive legacy, and hopefully we can reach a position that works for everyone."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: