Approved Bulli Creek solar farm work camp appealed in Qld planning, environment court

A plan to create Australia’s largest grid-connected solar farm has hit a major roadblock after a key piece of its infrastructure was taken to court by a farming operation.

The development of what would be Australia’s largest grid-connected solar farm is in jeopardy after the local council’s approval of a work camp to support its construction was taken to court.

In a move that has prompted action from the Queensland government, Darling Downs farming operation Doug Hall Poultry lodged an appeal with the state’s planning and environment court over the Toowoomba Regional Council’s (TRC) June decision to approve an 800-person accommodation facility outside the town of Millmerran.

The camp was proposed by Genex Power to house workers for its upcoming $1.5bn Bulli Creek Solar Project, which has been in development for nearly 10 years.

3D rendering of proposed Bulli Creek Solar Farm near Millmerran by company Solar Choice. Photo Contributed

The solar farm’s first stage will have an output of 775 megawatts, and once finished Genex says it will be “the largest grid connected solar farm in Australia once in operation”.

Given the camp has the potential to temporarily increase Millmerran’s population of 1500 people by 50 per cent, Genex had pledged a range of incentives for locals, including energy rebates and investments in local projects.

Councillors voted unanimously at the special meeting in favour of the camp based on planning grounds rather than those social mitigation measures, as they were outside the TRC’s assessment scope.

Aerial shots of the 800-person work camp approved for a parcel along Millmerran-Cecil Plains Road at Millmerran.

In its appeal to the court on June 25 lodged by its law firm MacDonnells Law, Doug Hall Poultry argued the development of the work camp had not demonstrated it “would not result in unacceptable social impacts for the Millmerran community”.

“(The development) is of a scale and intensity that is inconsistent with the uses anticipated in the rural zone and does not minimise potential conflict with rural uses,” the appeal said.

“It does not promote values, the local character and sense of identity of the community; does not provide permanent housing within the town (and) is not designed to enhance public safety by discouraging crime and anti-social behaviour.

“It does not ensure that Millmerran will remain a viable place in perpetuity in circumstances where there are no adequately certain measures proposed.”

The appeal also questioned the demonstrated need for the work camp, either socially or economically, for Millmerran, noting the impacts could be magnified if other renewable projects in the same area got off the ground.

“An additional 800 persons, which is an over 50 per cent increase in population, for 10 consecutive years is a material impost on the town of Millmerran that does not have the social, economic and community capacity to accommodate such an impost,” the document said.

“The proposed development will result in adverse social impacts on the community (and) there are several other potential energy and infrastructure projects in the area that may contribute to cumulative social impacts … should they proceed concurrently with the solar farm.”

Doug Hall Poultry concluded there was “unacceptable and unlawful uncertainty about how the proposed development will function and the form it will take”, requesting the decision to be reversed.

Bulli Creek Camp Pty Ltd (Genex’s subsidiary) and the council were the original co-respondents on the appeal, but on July 9 the Department of State Development informed the court it had elected to also respond to the appeal.