Bendemeer Solar Farm

the project wants to clear essential trees and significant environment areas. I visit Bendemeer regular and my friend's property will be affected, and the view will be an eyesore, plus the clearing of the land is going to make to surrounding area significantly hotter with all the panels and all the tress removed. No thanks find somewhere else.

living for several years in the lower hunter valley around coal fired power stations I see benefit to renewable energy forms like solar and wind. No coal dust in the air to breath in

My EIS is too long, please see attachment

The project would have a detrimental effect on wildlife, particularly koalas who are already endangered.
Too many trees and too much bushland would be destroyed for the project and destroy vast amounts of wildlife habitat.
The project is too close to the village of Bendemeer.
Potential soil erosion.
Water supply to village may be effected.
High fire danger from the development.
Visually very unappealing.
An inappropriate development in almost every way.

This project will have a positive impact to the local community through development opportunity while also contributing to the broader vision of renewable energy, a last contribution to future generation and sustainability.

I support this project, renewable energy is the way of the future and we need to conserve our planet for the generations to come.

There are many reasons for this project not to go ahead including many that are not in keeping with the NSW Govt Large Scale Solar Guidelines - the project is fundamentally environmental vandalism:
Project is just over 1km from Bendemeer village - no other such development has been located as close to a rural village as this proposed development (Uralla solar 6kms from township) - protections in place via 10km buffer for Tamworth; Armidale; Wagga; Goulburn; Dubbo; Mudgee but no such protections for Bendemeer
Solar radiation level is average at most
Host land NOT flat but hilly/mountainous terrain in the Moonbi Ranges
NOT cleared will require the felling of trees, removal of top soil and animal habitat
Highly visible - high negative impact on landscape and residences/properties
On ag land in high rainfall area
Soil prone to erosion
Host land beside Macdonald River and across hills that feed into this source of village water supply
Bushfire prone land (fire April 2023 stopped just before solar land host boundary)(Moonbi Complex Fires 2019 - village cut off from Tamworth several days)
Cumulative impact - Bendemeer straddles the New England Highway and at the junction of the Oxley Highway therefore all NE projects will travel through Bendemeer
Lowe Observatory located in Bendemeer for its dark sky - project lighting will impact this
Wind project to follow solar and more powerlines - Bendemeer will be more heavily impacted than most with this unfortunate landscape destroying trifecta
Project has divided the village and torn friendships of many years
Negative effect on property prices due to impact on views, peace & quiet to be destroyed with 24/7 noise from industrial plant
ONLY justification for this project is location of existing powerline and willing landholder host (resides in Sydney)

I support renewable energy project and the Bendemeer Solar Farm is good for NSW and local Bendemeer community.

I Ttrish Balcombe support the Bendermeer solar energy hub. I am a retired farmer/physiotherapistwhi has lived in the Loomberah Area for the last 35 years, I have had solar panels on my house since the beginning of the Goverment rebates for solar and have now installed them on my new home in Calala.We had the transgrid wires and pylon on our place and it did not bother us at all and their staff always notified us if they were inspecting it
the reasons I am supporting this Hub is because solar energy is good for the environmentand helps to reduce the carbooutput . this will help to preserver the planet for our grandchildren
The owner of the farm is obviously happy to have the hub on his land and it will ensure a regular income for him during the drought times. He can graze his sheep beneath the panel and they will benefit from the shade in summer. He already have trans grid lines over the land so that is not a problem
Frankly the hub will not be an aweful scar on the land like the coal mines are.
As the government is wanting to reduce carbon by 2030 , then surely we should be encouraging more solar hubs
So I strongly support the developement of the solar Hub at Bendermeer, and thank you for the opportunity to offer my opinion
Yours sincerely
Trish Balcombe
22/08/2023

Once again, the Bendemeer Solar Farm has NO social license and pathetic, unrealistic community consultation. If the city-centric folks are so desperate to "keep the lights on" then use thousands of acres adjoining Warragamba Dam, to bulldoze the trees, poison the water supply, upset the locals, ensure negative impacts on real estate values, and leave the landscape and peoples who rely on rural lifestyle and agricultural productivity to do what they do best.

I support the Bendemeer Solar project. I feel that the team managing the project has been very transparent and has completed all studies to the best of their abilities. I feel that they have mitigated the concerns of the community through regular pop-ups and appearances at the CWA hall. I really like that the company will be making an annual contribution to the community, supporting the community's needs for sustainability and growth. Renewable energies I believe are the cleanest form of energy and in line with the NSW government plans with Energy Co.

I believe that the Bendemeer renewal project is great for the local area to provide jobs and secure future growth within the region.
Renewable energy is a move in the right direction and it is fantastic to progress with sustainability for the future for both the environment and future generations to come.

Because of the ongoing issues with power, the closure of coal fired power stations we need to act asap to provide the community with reliable power. Solar is clean and environmentally friendly. As an owner of property in the Bendemeer area I feel that it is important to support this project. This project is a positive way forward for the community through job creation both in the construction phase and beyond as well as ongoing financial support for the community through a dedicated community fund.

We are supportive of this proposal, please refer to our attached letter.
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SUBMISSION OF SUPPORT FOR THE BENDEMEER SOLAR FARM SSD36651552

I support the Bendemeer Solar Farm because it is essential infrastructure and the location is ideal.

The Bendemeer Solar Farm is situated 40km north of Tamworth where I now live. However I am familiar with the location of the Solar Farm as I spent some of my childhood in the area and I still visit Bendemeer.

The following are some of the many reasons why the location of the Bendemeer Solar Farm is ideal.
1. The landowner is happy to host the Bendemeer Solar Farm.
2. The entire Bendemeer Solar Farm is located on this landowner's property.
3. The farmer who is presently using the land will be able to continue grazing sheep .
4. This grazier will have the benefit of extra water on the grass under the solar panels because of the runoff from condensation. An extra source of water is of immeasurable benefit in our increasingly arid climate.
5. The shade from the solar panels will provide the sheep with protection from the sun .
6 .Hosting a solar farm gives the host a regular income each year . A fixed amount of income each year from normal farming activities is impossible to achieve because of the weather, fluctuating markets and other variables.
7. The project's noise levels are within NSW accecptable levels except for the landowner's home which I understand to be 2 units above the NSW level . The home of the grazier who is using land on this particular farm I understand to have a noise level equal to the NSW acceptable level.
8. I cannot see any problem with visual impacts of the project from the Oxley Highway and it seemed to me that the landowner who could see a little of the project from his/her property would be able to block the view by planting a tree next to his/her existing trees as seen in the photo provided.
9. The project will be on land which already has an electricity transmission line passing through it .
10. The project is within the New England Renewable Energy Zone.

I cannot see any problem with this project.

The Bendemeer Solar Farm Project is essential infrastructure because Australia has to cease using fossil fuels for energy so that Green house gas(GHG) production will virtually cease in energy production. GHG cause Climate Change which is already having adverse impacts on life in New England, Australia and Planet Earth. The 2019/2020 Australian bushfires, the terrifying Lismore flood in February 2020 and the current Canadian wildfires examples of the adverse impacts of Climate Change.

The World Meteorological Organisation and the European Commission's Copernicus Climate Change Service released official data on 27th July 2023. Anthony Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations on that same day , commenting on this scientific data ,stated that "July 2023 is set to be the hottest month ever recoreded in human history." " The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived."" And the level of fossil fuel profits and climate inaction is unacceptable" Mr Guterres also said that dramatic , immediate climate action is needed with a robust rollout of renewables and that" we must reach net zero electricity by 2035 in developed countries and 2040 elsewhere ".

The NSW government has set a benchmark of achieving a 50% reduction in emissions on 2005 levels and net zero emissions by 2050.

Thus there is a definite need for renewable energy projects such as the Bendemeer Solar Farm so that dangerous green house gas production produced by fossil fuel energy projects can be stopped.

The Bendemeer Solar Farm will generate an estimated 577,000 MWh per year, enough energy to power 74, 000 homes . This renewable energy project will decrease the amount of GHG production by 420, 000 tonnes annually if the energy was produced by fossil fuels.

The Bendemeer Solar Farm includes a 150MW/300MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) . The advantages of BESS are that it will contribute to grid stability and will be able to release energy on demand when it is needed most. Effective , non polluting energy storage systems such as BESS are essential to achieve a stable ,carbon neutral effective energy system.

Projects like this one are imperative as not every home, institution , organisation or industry can be self-sufficient in energy production eg clients who use rental properties or those who have financial constraints.

The water produced from condensation on solar panels is not toxic unlike that produced from coal mines or gas fracking. I have seen that there is no regrowth in areas poisoned by toxic runnoff which occurred years ago in the Pilliga gas fields in spite of regeneration efforts.


I support the Bendemeer Solar Farm because it is in an ideal location . The solar modules will contribute to a better world by producing 577, 000MWh of renewable green annually and the Battery Energy Storage System will contribute to the stability of a carbon neutral electricity supply.

Robyn Bird
22.8.2023

I have a property within the Bendemeer Renewable Energy Hub and feel that the project will benefit many stakeholders. The landowners hosting the solar farm will have more financial security. The community will see improved facilities and support from the project through the community fund as well as increased employment opportunities for both Bendemeer and the wider community.

My family farm property will devalue between 30-40% . The solar fat is unsightly and close to the town, with the solar farm coming to bendemeer it is dividing the town and will drive away the tourism to the town.

Solar farms play a pivotal role in our transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. By harnessing the power of the sun, solar farms generate electricity without emitting harmful greenhouse gases or pollutants. This results in a significant reduction of carbon emissions, contributing to the global effort to combat climate change. Additionally, solar energy is renewable and abundant, providing a consistent and reliable source of power. The establishment of solar farms not only reduces our dependence on fossil fuels but also creates new job opportunities and stimulates local economies. With decreasing costs of solar technology, the development of solar farms becomes increasingly feasible, offering an efficient and environmentally friendly solution for our energy needs.

any renewable energy projects benefit future generations - re bendemeer solar farm