Council will consider making renewable energy projects dig a little deeper

The proposal is for 50 per cent to be paid to council on commencement of construction and the remainder on an annual basis for the life of the development.

The payment would be in addition to any agreed community benefit sharing arrangement, such as a community enhancement fund.

The proposal to go before councillors on Tuesday, September 12, says Tamworth Regional Council is receiving an "increasing number of renewable energy proposals, some of which are on a massive scale and include significant impacts to the environment, community, infrastructure and agricultural land".

"These projects have the potential to not only impact communities with close proximity, but also to create significant and lasting impacts on the wider Tamworth region," the report says.

Council has to date treated each project on a case-by-case basis, which according to the report has led to "inconsistent outcomes in terms of impact and potential community benefit across the region".

The report says these renewable energy projects are increasingly of a "massive scale" and can lead to "the industrialisation of agricultural land, village and town streets, as well environmental and scenic landscapes".

According to the document Tamworth Regional Council is working with other councils across the New England and North West to come up with a "more co-ordinated approach" to such developments.

"A common approach that is developing is the entry into voluntary planning agreements that apply a baseline payment to council of 1.5 per cent of capital investment in addition to offers of community enhancement funds and the like," the report says.

"Community enhancement funds are rightfully designed to benefit the neighbours and communities located in the vicinity of the proposed developments but often have a relatively modest yield over the life of the project in some cases of 0.5 per cent to 0.6 per cent of the capital cost and take the life of the project to yield that amount.

READ ALSO:

"A more realistic approach that is being promoted in the region is the payment to council of a 1.5 per cent contribution of capital value in order that council can undertake meaningful works to benefit the entire community and respond appropriately to projects that have a significant impact on council's regional infrastructure."

Council would not manage the fund, instead that role would go to a philanthropic Community Benefit Fund provider, with the council as a member.

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: