BATHURST Regional Council will write to Photon Energy urging it to find another site for a huge solar farm planned for prime agricultural land at Brewongle.
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Councillor Ian North led the push for council to take a stance on the contentious solar farm, urging his colleagues on Wednesday night to back the majority of Brewongle residents who are opposed to the solar farm in its proposed location on land owned by long-time resident John Bestwick.
The proposal will ultimately be determined by the NSW Department of Planning as a project of state significance but Cr North said it was important for council to show its support for the Brewongle community.
He said council’s letter to Photon should make it clear Bathurst would welcome a solar farm development but on a different site within the region.
“The community has spoken very loudly,” Cr North said.
“We as a council have an open door to development and we support renewable energy but we need to have these things in the right place.”
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Cr Jess Jennings urged some caution from his colleagues and suggested they delay writing to Photon until a development application and environmental impact statement had been lodged, while Cr Monica Morse questioned whether council should be getting involved in a negotiation between a company and private land owner.
However, when the item went to the vote only Cr Morse and mayor Graeme Hanger opposed the motion.
Earlier, Photon Energy project developer Nick Guzowski told council his company was happy to consider alternate sites to “ensure we choose the best site”.
“Before selecting a site we came to Bathurst and the Central West many times,” he said.
“But we know that we need to keep communicating and we’re planning more consultation meetings.”
Brewongle resident Liam O’Hara said a town planner engaged by the Brewongle Action Group had identified a suitable alternative site, also on Mr Bestwick’s land.
Mr O’Hara said the alternate site was on land less suitable for grazing and would have less visual impact on neighbours.
Steve Locke said his family had been farming at Brewongle for five generations and knew the land better than anyone.
“River flats aside, there’s no better farming country in all of the Bathurst distric,” he said.
“From my point of view, it’s simple. Why would you make that become extinct to put in an industrial scale solar farm when there’s so much marginal land around Bathurst?”
Mr Locke said was good to see Photon representatives at Wednesday’s meeting but said “you did not have the decency to consult with residents” during the initial stages of the project.
