Tamworth Solar Farm

DPIE Crown Lands have ave reviewed the information provided and can confirm that all of the roads referred to are under the care, control and management of Tamworth Regional Council as the roads authority. None of the subject roads are Crown roads.
Portions of Warminster Road, Soldier Settlement Road and Prices Road that were dedicated as Crown roads were transferred to the authority of Tamworth Regional Council in February 2012 as per the attached notice from the NSW Government Gazette. No further comment

As a resident of Tamworth Regional Council's area I support this solar farm project. However as a resident of Babbinboon Rd I have major concerns regarding the high volume of traffic on a small local road. The proposal allows for a turning lane at the junction of Babbinboon Rd and the Oxley Highway which is essential for traffic to safely turn and pass the traffic on this busy road. This is particularly important between the hours of 5am- 9am and 3-7pm when most residents leave or return home. As rural land holders many of us leave for work early and arrive home late.
Babbinboon Road will have up to 2800 vehicle movements over the construction phase. For the health, safety and wellbeing of the residents the road needs to be sealed. Section 2.2.4 of Appendix H Traffic Impact Assessment discusses two options. I am advocating for the second option which is to seal the length of the road from the Oxley Highway to the solar farm site. This will not only ensure the residents are supportive of this project and its traffic impact on their lives, but will also save the company money in the long run. By sealing the road in the initial stages, they will not lose time or money when the weather is inclement. The road becomes slippery and at times corrugated to the point of impassable, when the road either dries out or becomes muddy. The proposal to only seal sections of the road whilst watering the gravel sections to minimise dust is incomprehensible in this time of drought and with the limited water currently available to our town. The community backlash at this waste will be large.
Further more the dust that will be created by 2800 traffic movements will be environmentally detrimental to the health of the residents. Not only do many children along this road suffer from asthma, but the constant dust invading our houses will ensure that the mental health of residents will be affected. This can be attested to recently with the dust storms that have hit our homes and the constant need to clean and try to remove the dust from our clothes, furniture and air. Having to do this every day with a 20/70 or 70/20 traffic movement is reprehensible.
I implore the company to seal the road to ensure they save themselves time, money and community support for this project.

I refer to the submission of the request for agency input into development of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), dated 23 January 2020, for the above development to Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW). The relevant parts of the proponent’s EIS have been reviewed and the following comments are submitted for consideration.

Large scale solar farm developments are usually located within NSW Rural Fire Services’ (RFS) fire districts. Notwithstanding, in the event of either a significant fire event or hazardous material incident (hazmat), FRNSW will be responded to either assist the RFS or to fulfill the role of the designated hazmat combat agency.

It is FRNSW experience that large-scale photovoltaic installations and associated battery energy storage solutions (BESS) present unique hazards and risks to our personnel when fulfilling their emergency duties. It is highlighted that the Fire and Rescue NSW Act 1989 (the Act) imposes specific statutory functions and duties upon the Commissioner of FRNSW. Clause 5A of the Act requires the Commissioner to take all practicable measures for preventing and extinguishing fires and protecting and saving life and property within a FRNSW fire district. Clause 5A of the Act also requires the Commissioner to protect and save life and property endangered by hazmat incidents and for confining a hazmat incident and for rendering the hazmat site safe.

In addition, the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act 2011 (and its subordinate Regulation) classify FRNSW as a person (entity) conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU). Clauses 34 and 35 of the WHS Regulation impose specific obligations upon a PCBU to identify hazards and manage risks at workplaces. A site involved in fire or hazmat incident is deemed to be a FRNSW place of work.

Due to the electrical and fire hazards associated with large scale photovoltaic installations and the potential risk to the health and safety of firefighters, both FRNSW and the NSW Rural Fire Service must be able to implement effective and appropriate risk control measures when managing an emergency incident at the proposed site.

In the event of a fire or hazardous material incident, it is important that first responders have ready access to information which enables effective hazard control measures to be quickly implemented. Without limiting the scope of the emergency response plan (ERP) requirements of Clause 43 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (the Regulation), the following matters are recommended to be addressed:

1. That a comprehensive ERP is developed for the site.

2. That the ERP specifically addresses foreseeable on-site and off-site fire events and other emergency incidents (such as fires involving solar panel arrays, battery energy storage systems, bushfires in the immediate vicinity) or potential hazmat incidents.

3. That the ERP details the appropriate risk control measures that would need to be implemented to safely mitigate potential risks to the health and safety of firefighters and other first responders (including electrical hazards).

Such measures will include the level of personal protective clothing required to be worn, the minimum level of respiratory protection required, decontamination procedures to be instigated, minimum evacuation zone distances and a safe method of shutting down and isolating the photovoltaic system (either in its entirety or partially, as determined by risk assessment).

4. Other risk control measures that may need to be implemented in a fire emergency (due to any unique hazards specific to the site) should also be included in the ERP.

5. That two copies of the ERP (detailed in recommendation 1 above) be stored in a prominent ‘Emergency Information Cabinet’ located in a position directly adjacent to the site’s main entry point/s.

6. Once constructed and prior to operation, that the operator of the facility contacts the relevant local emergency management committee (LEMC). The LEMC is a committee established by Section 28 of the State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989. LEMCs are required to be established so that emergency services organisations and other government and non-government agencies can proactively develop comprehensive inter agency local emergency procedures for significant hazardous sites within their local government area. The contact details of members of the LEMC can be obtained from the relevant local council.

7. As a Condition of Consent that a Fire Safety Study (FSS) be prepared for the BESS part of the site and submitted to FRNSW for review and determination. The FSS should be developed in consultation with and to the satisfaction of FRNSW including the proposed fire detection and suppression system.

For further information please contact the Fire Safety Infrastructure Liaison Unit, referencing FRNSW file number BFS20/218. Please ensure that all correspondence in relation to this matter is submitted electronically to [email protected].

Comments uploaded.

I support this green project.

EPA does not have a regulatory role for this proposal. Tamworth Regional Council will be appropriate regulatory authority if approval is granted. No recommended conditions of approval provided.

Hi Natasha,
Please find attached BCD's response to the Tamworth Solar Farm EIS.
If you have any questions please get in touch.
Regards, Renee.

DPI Agriculture, commends Oriens Energy on their commitment to completely removal of all solar farm components (above and below ground infrastructure) and the complete rehabilitation and return to agricultural use. DPI Agriculture advises that this commitment should be captured as a condition of consent.

RE: TAMWORTH SOLAR FARM (SSD 9264)
“BONNIE BRAE”, BECTIVE
I refer to the application for a Tamworth Solar Farm, State Significant Development (SSD) 9264 proposed for the property “Bonnie Brae”, adjacent Prices and Warminster Roads, Bective.
As a property owner on Babbinboon Rd we have concerns with the amount of traffic that will be using Babbinboon rd for the construction of Tamworth Solar Farm, State Significant Development (SSD) 9264.
We are concerned for the health and safety of our family and neighbours if the proposal goes ahead without the following issues being addressed.
1. Babbinboon Rd may seem like the most cost effective solution for the above project but in wet times it will be impassable for heavy vehicles and dry times it will break away and it will be filled with dangerous corrugates and pot holes.
2. We have a high concern as we are only 25 meters off the road with dust affecting our property we have small children and would like to know if a dust study has been done? With the proposed number of extra vehicles the dust will be considerably higher and will affect everything from our drinking water to my Childs allergies
3. We have four trips to the end of the rd a day for school busses and although the environmental statement suggests that the road is two lanes. The photos show that traffic drive in the centre of the road and locals slow right down and move right into the table drain to pass on coming vehicles. I dread the thought of an extra 20 heavy and close to 100 light vehicles a day travelling this road, these numbers will more then double the traffic that this road currently carries (as stated in the EIS) and was designed for.
I believe by sealing the affected roads it offers a way forward in dealing with the serious impacts on the public infrastructure and minimise the impact on our community. We hope the proponent understands the impact this will have on residents that travel and live on these affected roads.

Yours Faithfully
Robert Colley and Jacqui O’Reilly

TfNSW considers the Traffic Impact Assessment provided in support of the EIS does provide a comprehensive and robust assessment of the potential impacts of the proposal.
Whilst proposed mitigation measures are supported, we have made comment on gaps in the assessment and provide recommendations to assist the Consent Authority in requesting additional information and/or making a determination.

Thank you for allowing WaterNSW the opportunity to comment on SSD-9264
The proposal is not located near any WaterNSW land, assets or infrastructure, therefore we have no particular comments or requirements regarding the proposal.
WaterNSW requests the Department continues to consult with WaterNSW for any development that may impact on our assets, infrastructure or land, using the email address [email protected]

Attached is the advice on the EIS documents for the Tamworth Solar Farm (SSD-9264)

Re Tamworth Solar Farm SSD 9264
“Bonnie Brae “Bective
I refer to the application for the Tamworth Solar Farm as we are one of the adjoining landholders we have a few concerns
We object to the proposed development as it is in a very intense farming valley with a lot of holdings and the visual impact it will have on the area and adjoining properties will be greatly affected and no numbers of trees will block the large numbers of panels.
This area is prime agriculture land producing beef cattle fat lambs and crops (FOOD) and should not be wasted on such a development as they are not making any more prime land such as this.
Another concern is the volume of water that will run off 200,000 solar panels on slopping ground will be damaging to properties and roads near by in storms and major rain events.
Adjoining properties VALUES will have to be affected by the impact the solar farm will have who is going to compensate for value loss and who is going to buy a property next to a solar farm.
Another concern is the vegetation grasses and the old gum trees that are going to be removed how come these developments can get approval to remove and destroy native vegetation when farmers can not do this.
We think the solar farm will have a great impact on the roads in the area which will affect transporting of produce grain and livestock from the area so roads will have to be maintained and who is going to do that at a cost to whom.
We wish you look at the proposal and think of the impact this solar farm will have on this area. We are not against such a solar farm in the right area which will not have a big impact on intense prime agriculture land.
Farming is our livelihood like many around us.

I support this project to address ageing coal power stations and the finite coal resource. Renewable energy is the future and this project will addresses all levels of Governmental concern for the securing a better future for Australia

Attached.

Please see attached submission.

Submission attached