Sundown Solar Farm

It is clear that the development will have numerous adverse effects on the existing residents in the area; particularly those who live on the road to or near the development itself. These effects include traffic and safety concerns, noise and vibration issues, financial losses, general hazard risks, and pollution and contamination risks. While it is necessary to transition to alternative sources of energy, such a transition must not debilitate residents in areas of proposed developments, such as is the case here.

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the current submission for development of the Sundown Solar Farm project.
Until recently, and worryingly so, as a nearby property owner, I had received very limited information of the impacts to the Swanvale community or any public meetings that had been arranged for property owners to obtain this information.
I hold serious concerns for our community should the project commence in its current proposed state. The proposal put forward would see an unsustainable increase to local traffic on the Spring Mountain Road which carries a significant safety risk for local wildlife, local stock and most importantly local children. Six Swanvale students use the Spring Mountain Road intersection as the school bus stop. The heavy traffic (estimated by the report at up to 500 extra vehicles, including 26 metre long heavy vehicles), expected with such a development, carries several safety risks that do not appear to have been considered thoroughly, or even at all. There is risk of collision with a high volume of turning vehicles, and this becomes a danger not only to the children and the bus, but other road users. Similarly, low visibility due to the size of these vehicles will make it difficult for other motorists to see the children, and vice versa. Noise pollution from the increased traffic and compression breaking will also have negative impacts on the well-being of the children, as well as dust and exhaust fumes. These will be issues that will also affect the Swanvale community as a collective.
It is disturbing that an alternative, more direct route to the Sundown Solar Farm site had been researched, but that developers would rather quantify the risk to a child’s life, and our community, than accept an extra expense creating a direct route that has less impact on local wildlife, local livestock holders and ensures the safety of an upcoming generation.
Another disturbing revelation for the residents of Swanvale is the environmental impact of such a large development. It is questionable that the expected benefit of capturing solar energy actually sees a catastrophic devastation to the local landscape with the preparation of such a large site, including the large scale land clearing, the risk to water supply, the devastation to local wildlife, including the eight threatened species identified in the Biodiversity Assessment Report, as well as six matters of national environmental significance that are known to occur or potential to occur that will be impacted by this project. There is also an increased risk of bush fire, noise pollution and the likelihood of weather pattern changes from the solar array caused by the install of the panels. These are just the short term ramifications. Long term being the loss of agriculturally viable land in the area, including a decrease in biodiversity, damage to top soil and loss of self-sustaining land cover that will take decades to restore. There does not appear to be a readily available rehabilitation timeline for not only the landscape but the ecosystems that will be destroyed by this proposed development.
The residents of Swanvale have a deep and strong appreciation for the land we live on. We have seen bushfire, devastating droughts, unexpected flooding and we steadfastly remain in the community for the privelilge to live and work in an amazing environment. It would be a devasting outcome for this project to go ahead without further due diligence.

To whom it may concern.
I am writing in response to the proposed Sundown Solar panel installation in Swan Vale .
The impact of heavy traffic on the local and surrounding roads will block traffic for local and surrounding residents to access ammenities, including supplies, schools and hospitals.
The heavy traffic will also make it unsafe for farmers to move livestock between their paddocks , and constant heavy vehicle traffic will cause damage to roads.
There needs to be more research and community consultation before this project is approved.
Yours sicerely
Stephen Evans.

Farming and rural living and lifestyle is quintessential to Australian history and way of life.
Working and making a living off the land is hard enough when dealing with the elements nature throws us, without also having to struggle against woes created by humanity.
To intentionally create a negative impact on hard working everyday Australians by imposing infrastructure and taking over local access roads without thorough consultation and agreement is abhorrent.
The Swan Vale community is made up of multi-generational farmers who have developed ways to get the most of the land they use by respecting the resources and means provided to them. The addition of increased traffic, noise, dust, people, machinery and equipment within a number of close proximity primary production residents will have an extremely detrimental effect to their businesses and personal lives. Not to mention the flow on effect this then has to the wider community as a whole.
An alternative option to access the solar farm would be more reasonable and less destructive to the local residents and their livelihoods.

1. These projects occupy productive farmland that can no longer be used for food production. It would make more sense to locate these solar farms much further west so that it makes more efficient transmission of power generated to QLD, NSW, VIC and SA possible. Further west the population density is much lower and much of the land is less productive than in the east of NSW.
2. It is not at all clear that sufficient research has been done on the long term impacts of massive solar farms on both the natural flora and fauna and also on the health and wellbeing of men, women and children who live within a few km of these farms.
3. The construction of these farms requires significant non-renewable, and in many cases non-recyclable, resources requiring significant subsidies to make them profitable in the longer term. I know one of a whole team of technicians who replace solar panels and arrays when things go wrong post -installation - he has ongoing work non-stop - he also advised that when one panel goes the whole array has to be replaced that it is connected to. This is a further waste of resources. Currently the old panels are not recycled and so go to land fill.
4. These projects do considerable the natural environment in the name of sustainability and renewable energy (this is an oxymoron). 5. These projects are proceeding at too fast a rate before anyone really knows what harms will ensue. This seems more like short term gain for long term pain. Not sustainable or sensible.
6. There are big concerns about the requirement to significantly increase heavy traffic during construction on regional roads which are already in poor condition, and by extension I am concerned about the safety of local residents.
My concerns are voiced as a citizen of the Northern Tablelands region which has seen a massive increase in the use of our productive rural lands for these purposes.

I strongly object to the proposed use of public roads to enhance the profitability of a private enterprise – to the massive detriment of local landholders and residents – when a viable private access road alternative exists.

The landholders and residents adjacent Spring Mountain Road and Sturmans Road are legally entitled to continued “quiet enjoyment” of their properties. This fact seems to have been totally ignored in this proposed development. Other objectors have already detailed the massive detrimental effects of using these public roads, so those effects do not need to be repeated here.

The EIS and “feasibility studies” attempt to mask one undeniable observation – Sundown Solar’s apparent unwillingness to pay the proper cost of its own upfront infrastructure – that is, a private access road. Who bears the ill-effects of this? Not Sundown Solar, not local Council – but the existing landholders and residents.

Rural landholders generally support renewable energy projects and there will be more developments in years to come.

It is essential planning authorities maintain the goodwill of local landholders – not disaffect and alienate them – and not ride roughshod over their legitimate concerns.

Susan Woods
(daughter of former owners of “Warrawee”, Max & Gwen Woods)

This project is yet another example of profit before people. There has been little to no community consultation in relation to this project. It would appear that host landholders are gagged by the developer and this has resulted in community division. This seems to be the blue print for renewable developments in the New England.
Community members are not against the transition to renewable energy. However, there has to be meaningful consultation to enable community to have a say in where these projects go, to mitigate the substantial impacts that come with these developments.
The Sundown Solar farm will have detrimental impacts on those that live in the Swan Vale. The land is zoned and used for beef, lamb and wool and cropping. The footprint of this project at 5182 acres goes directly against the strategic land use. This project has not taken into consideration the cumulative effect of the solar and wind projects that in the area. This is too much for the members of Swan Vale to be expected to bear for years to come.

I object to the Sundown Solar Farm. The Road (Spring Mountain Rd) the project intends to use for the construction period and operation is not sufficient for the estimated volume of heavy traffic that it will be required to take. This is a clear demonstration of the costs of a new road being put before the health and safety of the local community. School children live along this road along with elderly citizens. 200+ heavy vehicles using this road every day will not work. No doubt work will be undertaken to widen this road to cater for these heavy vehicles and enable them to travel at unsafe speeds. The residents who live along that road and use it for moving stock around will be badly impacted to the point they will have to move. Some of these residents have been living there for many decades. This can not occur.

I oppose this project on the following grounds
1. Health:
a) It is possible that longer term health impact on the life and livelihoods of neighbours bordering the project may be impacted negatively. Elderly residents will need to navigate large volumes of construction workers, heavy vehicles and equipment on usually quiet roads which may cause unnecessary stress
b) Additional pressure on medical and allied health practitioners in a rural areas where these services are already in short supply

2. Roads and Traffic
The additional vehicles per day along Spring Mtn Rd and Sturmans Rd does not meet Austroads design standards. The standard is a 7.2m wide seal for 150-500 daily traffic volumes. Inverell Council has agreed to a 8.7m unsealed road which meets the less than 50 vehicles per 4 day traffic volume. The Inverell ratepayers along Spring Mtn Rd will be impacted by this project, yet the Inverell Council has agreed not to comply with Austroads design standards.

3. Hazards and Risks:
Impacts of emergency services with an increase of traffic on Gwydir highway and the time it takes for emergency vehicles to be able to get to critical situations. How long will it take our ambulances to get to Inverell, Glen Innes and Tamworth hospitals in an emergency?

3. Soils and water
With droughts a constant reality, there will be no opportunistic reserve of water to source for the project. Dust is a major factor if water cannot be sourced. Water is required for dust suppression. A soil and management plan should be developed before the start of this project

4. Lack of consultation with the local area
There has been poor or no engagement with the community and neighbouring landholders, sensitivity to local residents’ social life, connections to land, livelihoods and property values.

I want to object to the Sundown Solar Farm proceeding.
Projects of this nature must include sufficient community consultation to ensure the project proceeds in the best interests of the community. There has been a significant void in the process undertaken by Sundown Solar for this project. Little opportunity was provided for local residents and the broader community to properly understand the scale and impact of this project.
Timelines provided to make submissions to this application were too short. The amount of material people have to read through to come to an informed position on this development is immense and too much to get through in the time provided.
More time must be given to the community to give this project appropriate consideration.
Elizabeth Bartholomew

Below is my attached letter of objection

I object to the Sundown Solar Farm proposal.

I am a Licensed Stock & Station Agent and have been involved in the Inverell & Glen Innes communities for over 20 years.

My objection is based on the following grounds:
(a) The traffic generated during the construction phase will significantly deteriorate Spring Mountain Road and Sturmans Road. The roads are extremely dusty and this will cause dust/dirt to be thrown over neighbouring farms which is problematic for both human and animal health. As a minimum, both Spring Mountain Road and Sturmans Road need to be upgraded to bitumen if the project is going ahead.
(b) A solar farm will pit neighbours against neighbours and disrupts the rural community. Solar proposals are very ad-hoc and I hate seeing the impact these projects are having on farmers. I am concerned for the mental health of neighbouring landholders.

I have attached my letter of objection

I have attached my letter of objection.

Objection for Sundown Solar Farm – SSD-8911
The Swan Vale area has long been known as prime agricultural ground. The establishment of a solar farm of this size in the proposed location is not something I think should be allowed. I understand the need to move to more sustainable energy sources and solar is one of those. I don’t think the development of a solar farm should be at the expense of prime agricultural land. A more suitable location should be sought where the quality of land in terms of agriculture production capability is less.



If we continue to use prime farming country for the implementation of solar farms we will create a new problem whereby land is locked up and unable to be used for agricultural production.

Regards
Row and Adam Macrae

I would like to formally object to the project based on the following reasons:

Traffic and safety concerns
- the significant increase to traffic during construction will cause real safety concerns for landowners especially when moving stock between paddocks
- residents will have to avoid daily oncoming truck and traffic on the proposed unsealed road to be able to travel to Inverell and Glen Innes.

Noise and vibration impacts:
- Construction noise levels are predicted to EXCEED Noise Management Levels which will have a huge impact on residents who will have to deal with this increased level on a daily basis

Business and financial impact:
- the impact to productive farming lands who will not safely be able to move stock between paddocks or will have to reduce their stock due to safety or noise concerns will include financial losses

Contamination and hazard risks
- surface water is at risk of contamination from accidental spillages of materials such as fuel, herbicides and other chemicals
- electric shock, fires and explosions are a risk of any of the battery components are not properly installed and with a project lifespan of 35 years these risks remain real to the local community for a long time

There are a large number of residents in the Swan Vale community that will feel these impacts for a long time. This is a successful farming community spanning generations and a business driver for the community. The impacts will be great and long lasting and must be stopped.

The project will have disastrous consequences in terms of traffic with nearly 1000% increase in daily traffic through Spring Mountain Road and Sturmans Road on an unsealed road which will be totally unmanageable and unsafe for land owners to move stock and residents to travel.
The development will have a material noise and vibration impact for an extended period in what usually is a rural and quiet setting, thus causing significant disturbance to local residents and stock with the ambient noise rising from 35 decibels during the day to 112 decibels when trucks and rollers will use the road. The noise disturbance will be prolonged during the construction phase with construction noise levels predicted to reach 67dB which will exceed noise management levels set by the Interim Construction Noise Guideline.
The quality of life at Swan Vale may be profoundly endangered by the project with a lasting impact on the preservation of primary industry production, diversity and land use all of them listed in the Inverell Local Environmental Plan 2012.

I object to this Project for many reasons ,including the following
1. Environmental --Land Clearing and consequent destruction of native habitat
2. Conflict with Agriculture and food production on productive Agricultural land.
3. Cumulative Impact , locally and for NEW England in general
- For instance EIS does not address effect of cumulative of traffic movements for the New England Highway during concurrent building of soma 1500 Wind Towers and 10,000 Ha of Solar plus new Transmission Lines , associated Hubs, Batteries and Switching Yards.
4. Lack of proper Community Consultation.

Objection 1
I strongly object to the development of Sundown Solar based on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) presented. My primary concern is the inadequacy in addressing potential electromagnetic radiation emissions from the solar panels and battery energy storage.

Renewable projects are being developed at an increasing rate across NSW without a thorough and well thought out strategy to ensure long term sustainability. I am deeply worried about the health implications of prolonged exposure to the radiation. The EIS fails to provide sufficient scientific evidence to quell these concerns, leaving us uncertain about the potential adverse health effects.

As a responsible developer, it is crucial for Sundown Solar to thoroughly investigate and present comprehensive data regarding electromagnetic radiation emissions. This will help establish a solid foundation of trust with the community and ensure that the project is conducted with utmost consideration for the health and well-being of all residents.

Until these concerns are properly addressed and supported by robust scientific evidence, I strongly oppose the approval of the Sundown Solar project. The community's health and safety must be respected and a priority and any development that fails to conclusively address potential risks cannot be sanctioned.

Regards.

object to the Sundown Solar project (Application number SSD-8911)

As someone who uses the Spring Mountain Road and has grandchildren stay on one of the properties along the Spring Mountain Road, the sheer volume of heavy trucks proposed to use the road daily during construction poses an unacceptable risk to my grandchildren.

For those who live along the road the loss of amenity will be huge. The use of Spring Mountain Road as the access route for the Sundown Solar Farm goes directly against the objectives detailed for the RU1 Primary Production zone that Swan Vale is under in the Inverell Local Environmental Plan 2012.

Kind regards.