Sundown Solar Farm

Strongly object to the project. Location totally unsuitable - in the heart of prime agricultural land. Not a renewable energy zone, just close to powerlines and showing a total disregard to the community and families who have lived and farmed in this area for generations. Inadequate infrastructure to support these farms and the increased traffic they would create.

I object to the Sundown Solar Farm going ahead on the grounds of:

- Visual and landscape disruption and 

- Extreme impacts to local farmers


Visual and Landscape Disruptions

The New England area and particularly the Swan Vale area are flooded with renewable energy projects scarring the local landscape. From hundreds of wind towers to an every increasing number of solar farms, you don’t have to go too far to find one. The natural beauty of the area has been tainted to the point where the countryside is becoming unrecognisable. There has to be other locations where Sundown Solar Farm can be located that I less densely populated and does not impact the overall beauty of the local community and it’s natural landscapes.


Extreme Impacts to Local Farmers:

I see can little provision to look after those farmers how live adjacent to the host properties. The extreme impact the increased volume of traffic will have impacts the financial viability of their business along with posing a significant risk to their mental health. Landholders living in this area have enjoy a lifestyle that will be compromised to the point where those most impacted will not be able to continue to live where they currently do. 


I strongly object to this development going ahead. 

Regards Emma Guan

I strongly object to the proposed development of Sundown Solar. I am a resident of the surrounding community and the community consultation process carried out by Sundown Solar has had a lack of transparency and I am concerned with the level of engagement with local residents and farmers. Many people have been left out of the decision-making process, leaving many to feel the decisions being made will destroy their lives and livelihoods with the current plan.

To address these issues, it is essential to adopt a more inclusive approach to community consultation. Taking the time to genuinely listen to the worries of those who will be directly affected by the development will help in building trust and understanding.

We encourage Sundown Solar to foster an open and transparent communication channel, where community members feel comfortable expressing their opinions and concerns. Meaningful engagement will not only lead to better outcomes for the project but also demonstrate a genuine commitment to the well-being of the community. Currently this development may permanently disadvantage the community through an increase in traffic, hazardous chemicals and damage to the local environment and the peace of the surrounding residents.

Regards
Nathan Guan

I object to the Sundown Solar Project as I am extremly concerend with the following isues that it will cause.
Environmental Effects
Income to effected and surrounding farms
The area is currently zones for Primary Production, and I firmly believe that the proposed development, coupled with the utilisation of the roads will have a dettrimental impact on the local community. Specifically the property "Menari"489 Spring Mountain Road.
With "Menari"only being 2km from the proposed development site the residents access and daily bussiness operations will suffer massive impacts. These impacts include moving and feeding stock and maintaing stock levels. With the ability to maintain stock on the "Primary Production"land the effects will impact the income and livlihood of the property owners and residents.
This will then flow onto effect local bussiness with the supply of produce down. I can only imagine the impact to the residents mental health.
With the increase of of heavy vehicles and traffic flow this will increase considerably the safety to motorists and graziers using these roads.
I am also concerend about the noise and vibration impacts of the development. The local residents will have to deal with noise levels and will be significantly disrupted by contruction, this will cause massive safety risks and discomfort to the local residents.
This will create financial losses for the farmers and graziers trying to muster stock with the stress of the works to the livestock and graziers. I also believe that this will create potential fire hazards and access for emergency services.
This development will place the local residents and farmers to feel unsafe and farming land that has provided local prodeuce to the community will be reduced significantly.
I strongly urge to to reconsider this development and the impacts that the local residents, farmers and graziers will be facing.

I object the installation of solar system at Swan Vale . It is a major disturbance in the communities lives. By putting in the solar system you are harming not just the people but the environment around them. Imagine living in an area where there is a major risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals, electric shock, fires and explosions I could go on about more risks apposing the people of Swan Vale. The environment in Swan Vale is most at risk as there will be a loss of farming land and the possible outcome of soil degradation. There is also the major risk of noise and vibrations for example the existing ambient noise levels in Sawn Vale is: through the day 35 decibels and evening time is 30 decibels. this will exceed during construction with daily traffic including water trucks that operate at 111 decibels these noises are equal to living at a live concert which is 110 decibels, this is not okay for this community to be living in these conditions. To conclude the people of Swan Vale deserve the right to live in peace with no disruptions to their community it is an outrage for the government to feel that this is okay.

I would like to raise my safety concerns for the Spring Mountain Road to be used as an access for this project.
My concerns are as follow;
1.The Spring Mountain Road is a narrow gravel road, unfenced gravel road. It's no through road that only provide access to the rural properties along Spring Mountain Road.
2. Due to steep gradient, tight curves, water way crossings and one narrow bridge would make it difficult to upgrade. It would be unlikely that the road could be upgraded and remain within the current road easement.
3.The Spring Mountain Road is very close to 2 residences which would be unbearable burden for those occupant of the residences due to noise, dust and vibration.
4.The volume of traffic would be a serious safety concern for the residents of Spring Mountain Road going about their daily business and traveling to and from the Gwydir Highway to meet a school bus.

There is an alternative access to the project which is the access road to one of the involved landowners of the project. The benefit of using this access as follow;
1. It's much shorter, a direct route from the Gwydir Highway to the project.
2.No residences will be affected.
3. An upgrade of that road will be far cheaper than the Spring Mountain Road upgrade due to a shorter distance.

Access road via Spring Mountain Road is a flawed concept. This option adds 13km to an already long response for any emergency service. We support the most direct route to any emergency, and thus would endorse the initially proposed route heading south from the Gwydir Highway on the inverell side of the swan brook bridge. This access is 100% better than the spring Mountain road option council proposes.it could be the difference between people living and dying. Our brigade is not in favour of the latter.

I am opposed to the Sundown Solar Farm proposal for the following reasons:
1. I am concerned that there has not been due consideration of the significant value that is already present in using this land as agricultural land, for food production and for the ability of farming land to support both food production and environmental benefits such as biodiversity and carbon storage. Whilst on the surface solar farms appear to be of benefit to the environment, I would like to see a clear outline of the costs of putting this farm in the Swanvale area, compared with in a less productive or urban environment.
2. I feel that there is insufficient exploration and explanation of how the water required by the solar farm will be compatable with water already allocated to agriculture and other uses in the local area. Recent significant droughts certainly highlight the fact that water in this area is finite, and so there needs to be clear evidence that both local farming and the solar farm will be able to share water resources in a sustainable way in periods of decreased rainfall.
3. The amount of information provided to the local Swanvale community on the impacts of this project, in a way that they are able to understand and interact with, has been insufficient. Further, the community have not been given an adequate amount of time to have any concerns addressed prior to approval of this project. People and community need to come first in our value system, ahead of profit and business, and this does not seem to be the case with the haste with which this project is now being published and progressed.

see my letter

I object to this project. The noise pollution, the visual pollution, the disruption to wildlife...the list is never ending. The massive lack of community consultation. I fully object.

Dear Sir/Madam
I am writing to you to provide an objection to the approval of the Sundown Solar Farm SSD-8911 in Swan Vale NSW.

As a 5th generation primary producer I have significant concerns about high value agricultural land being rezoned for renewable energy projects. The development plan for this development has the solar panels being located large swathes of highly productive, basalt cultivation. Little consideration has been given to identifying less productive agricultural land for this development, nor the significant impact such a proposal will have on the immediate neighbours and their existing operations.

It is my understanding that at the end of the lease period, only the solar panels will be removed and infrastructure placed under the ground to support the solar farm will not be removed and remain in the ground in perpetuity. This is unacceptable and poses significant risk to the surrounding properties and the future productivity of the land on which it is left.

It’s an inappropriate development for the region in question.


Your Sincerely
Chris Morshead
Director
The Amberley Group of Companies

I object to this project as a whole as well as many of the aspects of the project. Please seriously note my objection.

See attached objection

This project cannot go ahead with the impact assessments that been undertaken. It is clear from the EIS that there isn’t due consideration for site remediation at the end of the 35 year period. Questions must be answered as to how and where the solar panels will be disposed of. The EIS is deficient in sufficiently addressing sustainability aspects of project of this nature and fails to ensure the developer will be held accountable for the implementation of appropriate environmental controls and checks.

The water requirements for the development are too high for what is available. Whilst there is some provision for capturing rain water to be hold in tanks, in extended dry periods ground water will be used and there has not been sufficient investigation into how this could impact other landholders.. There is no water management plan documented which is essential to protect local water supplies.

I object to this project proceeding

Regards
Dimity McKenzie

I wish to make an objection to the proposed Sundown Solar Farm at Swanvale and the use of the SpringMountain and Sturmans Road. I am extremely fearful for the residents of the 5 properties who live on the Spring Mountain and Sturmans Road. Their health and safety is at the forefront of my mind. For a small gravel country road that’s used to possibly 10 vehicles a day travelling on it to be increased to 487 vehicles per day including 26 metre B double trucks for 21 months that is an incredible injustice to the residents who live there. These residents have no choice but to travel this road to get to grocery shops and getting farming supplies and medical appointments etc. This is a daunting prospect for anyone let alone the property owner’s, some of whom are elderly and frail. They are going to be petrified to travel on these roads, scared of being killed. Who wouldn’t be. This is a very overwhelming and terrifying ordeal for all of them. Some will be too scared to go out on these roads and become prisoner’s in their own homes. The impact this will have on these small farmer’s who already are struggling is massive. 2 years of their livelihood gone. They will not recover from this. This is so unfair to these residents on so many levels. These are all hardworking, innocent victims of this ludicrous proposal to use the Spring Mountain and Sturmans Roads. This could all be avoided if Sundown Solar had chosen to use the alternate route option of a private road west of Spring Mountain Road. This is a simple solution as there are no homes anywhere near this road and it is a much shorter route to the Sundown Solar Project. The risk to these residents is far too great.

I object to this project.
As a nearby resident of Swan Vale, situated in the neighbouring town of Inverell, the issue which I most strongly object to concerns the adverse business impacts and financial loss flowing from the current proposal for the development of the Sundown Solar Farm project. Indeed, the major development lodged by Sundown Solar will result in the disruption of the high value agricultural land of nearby properties. This disruption will manifest most apparently via the great volume of heavy vehicle traffic (including trucks, vibrating rollers and semi-trailers) travelling daily at high speeds and carrying hazardous materials along the rural roads of Spring Mountain and Sturmans Road.



This dangerous traffic poses a safety hazard that will make it precariously unsafe for the Swan Vale farmers and their employees to muster and transport stock, not least to access the roads for weekly duties carried out in town, and to access hospitals and schools. My concern is compounded by the likely negative impacts on the health of stock from the stresses of the traffic, noise and dust. To my mind, such a renewable energy development must keep in mind the local livelihoods, community and agricultural practices of the Swan Vale and neighbouring regions that contribute so much to NSW and Australia.

I have attached my letter.

I strongly object to the proposed Sundown Solar Farm Project at Swanvale. My concerns are with the demand on our health services with the influx of 575 construction workers. Inverell has already lost 2 Doctor’s recently and residents can’t get in to see a doctor as it is now. Some Doctor’s already have over 500 patients on a waiting list to enable them to even get their name down to go to that particular practice. So what is going to happen with a further 575 people added to the already heavy demand on Doctor’s. Do our local residents who have lived here all their life going to be put at the end of the line. We have an ageing population who urgently need to see a Doctor and just can’t. The huge demand for Doctor’s has consequently put a massive burden on our hospital system as well, which is already struggling to keep up with the demand. They already are overworked without this extra pressure put on them.

Please see attached letter re objection to the project.

I object to the proposed development by Sundown Solar Pty Ltd on the basis of health issues for people and their livestock associated with high heavy vehicle traffic volume which is greatly exacerbated by the high percentage of diesel vehicles. Most heavy vehicles use diesel fuel which has been implicated. Diesel exhaust emissions pose a serious health risk: they are classified as a Group 1 carcinogen and there is no safe level of exposure to them. The EIS states that there is expected to be 478 vehicles per day on the Spring Mountain Road (which currently has no more than 10 vehicles) which is an unsealed, gravel road and which passes within metres of people’s vegetable gardens, homes and stock. The construction phase, during which there will be the heaviest traffic volumes, is expected to last for close to 2 years.