Oxley Solar Farm

In starting my objection to the Oxley Solar Farm project, I start off by highlighting that this project is adjacent to a key leisure area of the region, the Blue Hole picnic area and the Gara Gorge. I and so many other residents of Armidale should have been deemed stakeholders in this project and were not consulted.
I also with to point out the vagueness of the developer and lack of sincere concern for environmental impacts can be seen in the summary section on Biodiversity Impacts:
The proposal site itself is largely cleared of native overstorey and provides little connectivity at a local level. The exception to this is the Gara River corridor which is intended to be avoided where possible by the development.
The developer in the above statement creates the illusion that they will respect the ‘Gara River corridor’, but they leave that to ‘where possible’. I assume that they will be adjudicator of the ‘where possible’ and do as they please regardless.
Furthermore the EIS states: “The impacts of shading and diversion of rainfall runoff from the panels themselves is largely unknown”. The mitigation strategies listed by the developer also seem a little open-ended, and rely on control plans that are not currently offered for perusal. The developer also acknowledges the risk of severe erosion but fails to address a key issue: how will they rectify the situation in event that severe erosion does occur and occludes and/or totally alters the landscape of an important local picnic area, and an area that may have significant meaning to the local aboriginal community?
I am also concerned about the lack of empathy of the developer for what they are taking away from the residents of adjacent properties. Most people buying properties in this area did so with the objective to enjoy a rural lifestyle; to be able to enjoy the view of green undulating pastures amongst bush. Should the project proceed this will be taken away from them. Local land prices will be negatively impacted. If the vagueness of the developer in addressing key environmental concerns is characteristic of the rest of the submission then I would also seriously question how genuine the panoramic images of the project are.
In conclusion this EIS of the project should be rejected.

I do not want my name and personal information made public.

I am objecting to this project. Please see the attahced.

see attachment

I object to the proposed Oxley solar farm.

Oxley Solar Farm- SSD No 10346

I write to object to the proposed Oxley solar farm.
I object the solar farm’s position as it is visually distracting from the country views and natural habitat that we see on our way to visit the Oxley Wild river.
Friends from cities around Australia and overseas come to the Oxley Wild river for the serenity of the drive along a country road and to escape any type of technology.
The solar farm will deter these visitors from coming to visit our beautiful river and area around it if on the drive they see a paddock full of solar panels.
I do not oppose solar farms in general. But the positioning of this farm is not supporting our attraction for tourists.

Date: 6/4/2021

I strongly object to the Oxley Solar Farm being constructed on Prime Agricultural Land and next door to the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. Please see attachment

Please find attached my submission on the risks, hazards and other issues associated with the Oxley solar farm Energy Storage Facility

On behalf of the Castle Doyle Solar Farm Action Group I would like to make a submission, objecting to the proposed Oxley Solar Farm development. Please see the attached documents below.

BCD response on EIS as per attachment.