Bookaar solar farm on back burner
A STATEWIDE push for solar power has been dealt a blow, with one of Victoria’s most controversial renewable projects given a municipal red light.
A STATEWIDE push for solar power has been dealt a blow, with one of Victoria’s most controversial renewable projects given a municipal red light.
Corangamite Shire councillors last week voted to deny planning permission for the Bookaar Solar Farm, a project that would be the largest of its kind in Australia if realised.
It is not the first solar farm to given the municipal brush-off, with a Glenrowan West project off to VCAT after the Rural City of Wangaratta failed to make a decision on a $170 million proposal in July.
Premier Daniel Andrews ticked off on solar projects at Cohuna, Carwarp in the Mallee and Winton near Benalla last month, set to join the 19 MW Swan Hill facility, which is the only large-scale farm operating in Victoria.
The Corangamite Shire received more than 80 objections to the Camperdown project, which proposed installing 700,000 solar panels on the Bookaar property of former Corangamite MP Stewart McArthur.
Councillors voted unanimously to reject the proposal, with Corangamite Shire councillor Bev McArthur, wife of Mr McArthur, not taking part in the vote.
Corangamite Shire mayor Jo Beard said her fellow councillors were supportive of renewable energy projects but the scale of the Bookaar proposal highlighted concerns over agricultural use.
“The guidelines provided by the State Government are more comprehensive when it comes to wind turbines compared to other projects, like solar,” Cr Beard said.
“I know the State Government are working in this area at the moment, so that will provide greater clarity in the future. We obviously believe that local decisions should be made by local people. There were concerns, given the size of the project, about 1500 acres, regarding drainage as well as fire management.”
Infinergy Pacific, the company that proposed to construct the farm, said Corangamite councillors ignored the advice of planners and referral agencies.
Infinergy spokesman Richard Seymour said the councillors had sided with “a small but vocal minority of residents.”
“This is a tremendous disappointment,” Mr Seymour said.
“Councillors have gone against their own planning department’s professional recommendation, mainly driven by a concern about the alleged loss of agricultural land.
“It would have brought $150 million of investment to the shire, generating 150 construction jobs and up to 12 full-time jobs — it is clear that local people have hugely missed out.”
Mr Seymour said his organisation would “go back to the drawing board” to consider its options.
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