Walla Walla Solar Farm

I have put the reasons below why I personally feel this project should be approved and why I support it. After doing a lot of research on these type of projects, I feel this particular one of four in the greater Hume shire is the one that offers the best benefits to the community.

- I am a great supporter of renewable energy.
- I am from the local area and welcome such developments, specially this one.
- I, along with my family and friends wish to help combat climate change by supporting these projects.
- I have read the media articles on this project and wished to voice my positive opinion against others just wanting to object for their own financial business gain.
- I have no doubt the recent fires or other extreme weather events have links to climate change and know by supporting this project will assist in our fight against climate change.

benefits of this proposal I see over other projects:
300MWac of clean renewable energy.
From what I’ve read that is capable of supplying over 90,000 homes per annum.
It will reduce carbon emissions by more than 520,000 tonnes per year. (Wow!!!!)
The importance of our future energy coming from renewable sources is very clear for my younger kids generation who don’t get a voice at this time.
The creation of 250 jobs during construction and up to 21 Full time jobs during operations is a huge boost to the local economy over what the current farm operation is capable of employing.
From recent ABC articles and shows these projects can co-exist with sheep grazing (from what I’ve read the actual project area is only utilising 14- 15% of the land)
The Developer is a well-established and experienced company with the support and approved practices with the Australian government already. They from what I hear plan to manage the asset for the full life cycle, not like some other developers who construct and hand over to another company.
The potential Revenue injected into regional areas is nearly limitless and what better time with the drought.
Community Investment Programs will apparently provide sustainable benefits for the community for the long-term.
The Impacts are minimal as areas can be retained and respected within the solar farm design.
Having read through the EIS it is evident fire management, environmental management and community engagement are key considerations for the developer, which they have attempted to mitigate from what I hear on the news.
Project is enhancing biodiversity by planting to create corridors, enhancing farm dams, placing nesting boxes throughout the site, what more could you want for the area.
Excellent way for farmers to diversify and become more resilient to the impacts of drought.
I hope for more local farmers and the developer they use this project as an example of how they can increase revenue and land values without ruining their land like a coal mine for example.
As stated above, other types of energy sources have higher visual impact, absorb the land fully and can’t be reversed in most cases.
At decommissioning, i read these projects are restored and returned to its original use, which for a community to benefit prior, during and post operations is a sound investment every small community should support and flourish on.

I support the Walla Walla solar farm.

I have listed the following reasons why I personally feel this project should be approved.

After doing research on these type of projects, I feel this particular one In the Greater Hume shire is one that offers the best benefits to the community.

- I am a avid supporter of renewable energy.
- I am from the local area and welcome such developments
- I, along with my family and friends wish to help combat climate change by supporting these projects.

- I have no doubts in my mind that the recent fires or other extreme weather events have links to climate change and know by supporting this project will assist in our fight against climate change.

benefits of this proposal I see-
300MWac of clean renewable energy.
It will reduce carbon emissions by more than 520,000 tonnes per year.

The creation of substantial local jobs during construction and many jobs during operations is a huge boost to the local economy over what the current farm operation is capable of employing.

- grazing of sheep and solar panels can co exist.

The potential Revenue injected into Regional areas, especially during a drought is a huge positive.

Why I support the project
1. (a) .I believe there is an urgent need to significantly reduce the amount of carbon being emitted into the atmosphere to limit the impact of global warming on the planet. My belief is based not only on the extensive available scientific evidence , but my own observations of how the seasons have changed over the last 10 years. Spring and autumn breaks are becoming increasingly unreliable. and the summers are hotter and drier. This project will make a significant contribution to the reduction in the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity.
(b) Many objectors agree with the need for large scale solar farms but are of the opinion they should be located in marginal farming areas (anywhere but their back yard) in the more arid regions of Australia. While this might be attractive , the fact is that there is no grid infrastructure in those areas and in the absence of any Federal Government policy as to how Australia will reach zero emissions by 2050, there is no incentive for infrastructure investment in those areas. The need to reduce emissions is urgent and there is currently no alternative other than to make use of suitable and under utilised sections of the existing grid. Even now , the existing grid in the remoter areas is being overloaded by the additional power being generated by newly constructed large scale solar farms.
2.Both applicants have undertaken extensive consultation with both the wider community. This has culminated in the EIS which makes further adjustments to the layout of the solar farm ( including additional tree screening and setbacks ) to address the immediate neighbours concerns particularly in relation to visual amenity. The relocation of the substation behind an existing stand of trees on our property and in the road reserve, largely shields it from view from the neighbours dwelling. Also the slope and topography of the land significantly limits the visual impact of the solar panels from their dwelling. This is demonstrated in the photographic montages in the EIS. In any event the neighbours visual amenity is already compromised by the existence of the transmission line , towers and transformers in their foreground. The amenity of the entire local community is already compromised by the noise caused by blasting, crushing and truck movements out of the existing nearby local Boral Quarry. Apart from the construction phase, the solar farm will not add to the existing noise pollution. Even during the construction phase , the neighbours will not be effected by additional truck movements because of the relocation of the main entrance to the project further to the east.
3.(a) Additional income received into the greater community from the project proceeds , will allow further investment into the local farming community and small to medium enterprises of the surrounding townships of Walla Walla and Wagga Wagga to increase their overall productivity and to shield these communities against the price and seasonal variances of agriculture.
.(b) There are a number of local farmers with access to the transmission line who say , for their own reasons ,they elected not to take up the opportunity to lease part of their property for a solar farm. This should not be taken as a slur on those who see the leasing of part of their farm for the purpose of a solar farm as a good business opportunity to enhance their overall farming operation.
4. In any event the loss of agricultural production on the solar farm area will be minimal. FRV has calculated the solar farm infrastructure will consume only about 14.93% of the farm land. That will allow the owners to continue to graze sheep in and around the solar panels at about 85% of the normal carrying capacity 10 DSE/ha to 8.5 DSE/ha. That gives a grazing capacity on the effected land of 782 wethers post construction. The property has the benefit of accessing reticulated water from Southern Riverina County Council system which allows fresh water to be reticulated to sheep water troughs within the solar farm area. It should be noted that all the farm dams on the property are being retained, as FRV have designed the project to respect them and therefore they will be continued to be utilised. This ensures a water supply for the sheep as an alternative to dams. Furthermore, I am informed by farmers with existing solar farms that in dry periods , the condensation and shading from the solar panels improves the carrying capacity above the district average.
5. The EIS comprehensively addresses all other concerns relating to loss of trees and vegetation, fire controls , loss of dams , erosion and all other environmental issues.
6. In regards to property values, all properties adjoining this proposal are commercial farming properties. The valuation evidence shows that solar farms do not have a negative impact on the productive capacity of commercial farms or their value..
7. The establishment of large scale Solar Farms has already put downward pressure on power prices,this is despite the fact that a mere 0.82% of Australias total electricity supply for the 2017/18 financial year was provided by Large PV projects. Solar production is the cheapest source of power and this project will add to that downward pressure for the benefit of all consumers.
8 This project will provide badly needed jobs locally , particularly over the construction phase. This will significantly offset job losses in other industries , particularly those flowing from the recent closure of the Norske Skorge paper plant.
9. I welcome the fact that FRV are a well established and responsible company. They have had a clear focus on the community from the outset and their business model is to retain the asset for the full life-cycle of the project. Their plans to contribute and provide benefit to the local community if the project proceeds, are genuine and will create sustainable benefits for our area for the long-term.
10.This project will contribute to the health of the local economy generally through the engagement of local suppliers and contractors wherever possible.
Summary
I am in support of this project to FRV for the establishment of the solar farm because ;
(a) its impact on neighbours and the environment is effectively managed and minimised.
(b) The farm owners decision to lease to FRV is based on a sound business decision to enhance the overall productive capacity of their farm
(c) it contributes significantly to the economic health and well being of the local community.
(d) it makes a significant contribution to the reduction of greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere.
(e) the loss of any agricultural production is minimal.

I support the Walla Walla Solar Farm project for the following reasons:
I live in the district and believe that this is good for our community, by providing jobs locally which is very important in these trying times for farming communities. The Solar Farms will create jobs during construction and then post construction, thus injecting funds into the community,
This project is almost opposite the Quarry on the Benambra Road, so the numbers of trucks for the Solar Farm Project on that road will not unduly affect the properties along that road, as heavy vehicles already use it.
The provision of Solar Energy to the public is an important part of the lessening of the fossil fuel dependence of our society.
Solar Power is one way of helping to combat climate change, from which the nation is suffering at the moment.
On the land under consideration for this particular project there is the provision for sheep to continue to graze the land, thus keeping, in part, the rural aspect.

To Whom It May Concern:

I am a journalist with more than two decades of experience in rural, environmental and news reporting and live in a regional area that is in the grip of a drought like many have never seen before.

It is no secret that farmers need to diversify in these trying times to ensure the financial viability of their properties and livelihoods and to protect the future of their children’s wellbeing. We also need as much clean energy being produced as possible as we work towards more environmentally friendly power sources, for our generation and those who come after us. Watching the recent fires and those still burning with a ferocity many have not experienced, and on a scale not witnessed before has to be a sign to us all that our environment cannot cope with the pressures we are putting upon it, and we must do what we can to assist in reducing climate change, with a view to improving the environment in which we live. Projects such as this assists with this.

I would like to support this project in Walla Walla as I am a strong supporter of renewable energy, and if it can come together on a property to assist rural families to diversify their income, then it’s a win-win for everyone. In saying this, this is not just a win for those who have this solar farm on their property, but also a positive for the local area and the whole region as it will create more employment opportunities. In fact, it will create 250 jobs during construction and up to 21 full-time equivalent jobs during operations. This will inject more money into the region in southern NSW, and bring more skills to the region and local people.

Benefits of this proposal also includes 300MWac of clean, renewable energy being produced, which will be capable of supplying electricity to more than 90,000 homes. This will also reduce carbon emissions by more than 520,000 tonnes per year.

Not only will the solar farm being producing clean energy, but it will co-exist with sheep grazing as the project is only utilising 14.93% of the land, so rural activities will continue and both will work together. Solar farms are a low-impact and quiet energy provider, whereas other energy sources have higher visual impact and absorb the land fully. And, once the solar farm is decommissioned, the scope and type of project means the land can be restored and returned to its original use.

This project will be developed and managed by a well-established and experienced company who plan to manage the asset for the full life cycle and the Community Investment Program will provide sustainable benefits for the community for the long-term. Due to the developer being such an experienced company in this area, having read through the EIS it is evident fire management, environmental management and community engagement are key considerations for the developer.

Working with the local Landcare group, the project is enhancing biodiversity by planting trees to create corridors, enhancing farm dams, and placing nesting boxes throughout the site.
I fully support this proposal and trust you take into consideration the myriad of reasons for my support of this project that will not only benefit farmers and make them more resilient to changing environmental conditions that impact their production, but also benefit the whole region.

I am s co owner of 92 hectares of farm land located at Schneiders Rd Walla Walla which is proposed to be leased to FRV Services ( Australia ) Pty Ltd for the purpose of a Solar Farm. After considering all the impacts and learning more about all the benefits such projects can bring to everyone , we entered into an option to lease with Bison Energy and now FRV following its acquisition in July 2019. In entering into the option to lease we were aware that the proposed use was permitted under the applicable farm zone and that our neighbours and the wider community would be extensively consulted and given every opportunity to voice their concerns and make objections. We fully respect and understand the opposing views of others in the community but hope that all views can be expressed and debated in a courteous, considered and respectful manner.

Why I support this project
1(a) I believe that there is an urgent need to significantly reduce the amount of carbon being emitted into the atmosphere to limit the impact of global warming on the planet.My belief is based not only on the extensive available scientific evidence , but also my own observations on how our climate is changing. The current extensive bush fires , severe drought and longer dry periods reflects these climatic changes. This project will make a significant contribution to the reduction in the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity.
(b) Many objectors agree with the need for large scale solar farms but are of the opinion that they should be located in marginal farming areas in the more arid regions of Australia. While this might be attractive , the fact is that there is no grid infrastructure in those areas and in the absence of any Federal Government policy as to how Australia will reach zero emissions by 2050 ( in accordance with our international obligations ) , there is no incentive for grid infrastructure investment in those areas. The need to reduce emissions is urgent and there is currently no alternative other than to make use of suitable and under utilised sections of the existing grid. Even now , the existing grid in remoter areas is being overloaded by the additional power being generated by newly constructed large scale solar farms.
2.Both Bison and FRV have undertaken extensive consultation with both the wider community and our immediate neighbours . This has lead to the preparation of an EIS which makes further adjustments to the layout of the solar farm ( including additional tree screening and setbacks ) to address our immediate neighbours concerns, particularly in relation to visual amenity. The relocation of the proposed substation behind an existing stand of trees on our property and in the road reserve, largely shields it from view from our neighbours dwelling. Also the slope and topography of our land , significantly limits the visual impact of the solar panels from that dwelling.This is demonstrated in the photographic montages in the EIS. These ( and many others) are the type of improvements we were hoping FRV would make to the project to limit both its impact and concerns of the entire community expressed in the various community forums and at individual meetings. In any event our immediate neighbours visual amenity is already compromised by the existence of the transmission line, towers and transformers in the foreground of their dwelling. The amenity of the immediate local community is also compromised by the noise caused by blasting , crushing and truck movements out of the existing local Boral Quarry. Apart from the construction phase, the solar farm will not add to the existing noise pollution. Even during the construction phase , our neighbours will not be effected by additional truck movements because of the relocation of the main entrance further to the east.
3.(a) The additional income we will receive from the lease of our land if the project proceeds , will allow us to further invest in our farm to increase its overall productivity and to shield us against the price and seasonal vagaries of agriculture. Only providing 92 hectares to FRV was based on a business decision as we view the solar farm as supplementing our farming operation , not replacing it , as well as limiting its visual impact on our neighbours.
(b) There are a number of local farmers with access to the transmission line , who out of concern about losing some of their land for farming and other reasons, elected not to take up the opportunity to lease part of their land for a solar farm. This should not be a basis for being critical of others who see the leasing of part of their farm for the purpose of a solar farm as a good business opportunity to enhance their overall farming operation.
4. In any event,the loss of part of our land (which is not prime agricultural land) to agricultural production will be minimal. FRV has calculated that the solar farm infrastructure will consume only 14.93% of the farm land. This will allow us to continue to graze sheep on the solar farm area at about 85% of or normal carrying capacity.Our property has the benefit of accessing reticulated water from the Southern Riverina county Council which allows water to be reticulated to sheep troughs within the solar farm area.

Projects like the Walla Solar with their forecasted support of a variety of community initiatives also will bring new people to our door step and no doubt new families to our club. Organisations like ours do not survive without support and community spirit and we believe the solar farm will bring both.

i support sensible renewable energy sources

My objections to the Walla Walla Solar Farm attached

THE GREATEST AUSTRALIAN INVENTION OF ALL TIME (UNSW)
Solar panel energy the ultimate power!
The urgency of renewable power cannot be stressed enough.
Climate change is with us in a big way.
Witness the fire season starting earlier not only in Australia, but around the planet.
Reduced growing season rainfall has been happening over the last 3 decades.
Increased drought and late frosts all forecast by CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology.
But in Greater Hume Shire renewable energy is shunned.
Jindera & Surrounds Solar Awareness Group raised a number of points which require a response.
Loss of farming land: -
They claim some of the best land in Australia. They obviously haven’t travelled far.
Speak to the farmers to get the truth about land capability. (low lying, frost prone, not reliable)!
Greatest loss of farming land is lifestyle and hobby farm blocks.

Loss of Trees: -
Very few will go.
No native grasses, as land has been farmed for years.
More trees planted than removed.

Erosion: -
Would be no different to normal farming practices.
Running sheep would require normal management.
Lucerne and medics would be great.

Fire risk: -
The design takes this into account with asset protection zones, with roads forming fire breaks. (not much would burn in the structures)
Farming at harvest time is the highest risk.

Noise:-
Current quarry nearby has noise and high road use.
Construction phase of solar farm is relatively short and roads will be refurbished on completion.

Visual impact :-
Trees will ultimately block the view.
No one owns a view.
I actually asked Greater Hume Council to consider putting solar panels on the Culcairn Common to power the town- just like Lockhart. And that installation
would be right in front of my house.
But no vision so no project.

Cheaper power:-
Renewable energy is cheaper and bring prices down. In fact, Alinta has announced that their coal fired generator can’t compete on price per MWH, so will close in a decade (TOO LONG)
Removal of installation: -
Nothing is concreted in and agreements will be in place to return land to agricultural use - unlike residential sub divisions that remove that land permanently.

Linkage infrastructure:-
Code for putting them out west
No private company would do this due to the sheer cost, risk of unreliability due to storms and fire, even terrorism. Whereas the infrastructure is already here.
It’s a no brainer.
To run a power line and power boosting facilities will cause massive tree destruction as there has to be 60-metre-wide corridors and continuing maintenance.

Panels on Industrial Estates, Car Parks etc:-
No power company is going to do that.
Take a look at private businesses, most already have solar to try and reduce their running costs.
Use of agricultural land for power production and production of meat and wool is the absolutely best solution for sustainability.
Burning coal is the most brain-dead idea in this current climate and level of technology.

Glare from panels: -
There is a world standard for reflectivity, which is so low they are used to power Airports in Australia and around the world.

Heat Island Effect:-
I have measured this with a laser temperature device. The surface facing the Sun was the same temperature as the gravel roadway.
Underneath the panels were 3 º cooler. An ideal environment to run sheep and you could ride a four-wheeler under them.
On the roof of my house they were the same temperature as the tiles.

Tour an Operational Solar Farm:-
See for yourself.
If coal is used to power you, well the future does not look good for the next generation.

My house is self-powered with Australian solar panels and Tesla batteries

Greg Vonthien
Culcairn

Solar farms are an excellent initiative that warrants government support on all levels. It is great to see the private sector taking 'the bull by the horns' and wanting to invest in such projects. As a nation we should be world leaders in solar farm technology, all farms or farming communities have a percentage of land that is better suited to solar farming. For various reasons some areas of property are not suitable for cropping or that of heavy livestock, a solar farm provides another income for the land owner/manager that can co-exist in harmony with sheep farming. Not only is that land providing all the productive benefits of sheep farming to the economy it is also, in the case of the Walla Walla solar farm, helping Australia reduce it's carbon emissions by at least 520 000 tonnes per year by being able to supply 90 000 homes with electricity.
Whether you are a climate change skeptic or supporter, you can't argue with the benefits of solar energy. As a species we have been perfecting solar technology long before climate change even became an issue. Solar energy is a low impact energy source, it does not destroy the land it is on, in fact the land can be easily converted back to 100% farming use in under one season, it also does not require the disposal of radioactive waste nor does it have negative affects on the landscape or pose an increase noise pollution. Solar farms need to be built where power can be utilized locally, transmitting electricity over vast distances is an inefficient use of the resource.
The economic gains from solar farming are diverse. From drought proofing Australian farms, to construction, operation and maintenance employment opportunities. I have read media articles on the Walla Walla project and have seen the job creation numbers of 250 during construction and 21 during operations. All this at a time when regional Australia is suffering from drought and decline in the manufacturing sector.
In summary, the nation is suffering one of it's driest periods on record causing an unprecedented bush fire season, we can see the climate changing before our very eyes. I strongly urge the NSW Government to get behind the Walla Walla Solar Farm project for not only the economic benefits to the local community and environment but to that of the nation to show the world we are leading the way in renewable energy.
Thank you for your consideration, James Follett.

I am a farmer and reside within a few kilometres of the proposed Walla Walla solar farm development and I strongly support it.
I was saddened to be approached by some locals who had no objection with solar other than they didn’t want it near them, and after that initial canvasing to encourage a negative frame of mind I took the opportunity to be educated about solar which debunked a lot of myths generated locally and in the process I formed a positive opinion. After much discussion with family and friends in the area we believe there to be nothing but positives with the development.
We have no vested interest in the project other than being delighted to see renewable infrastructure being built in our area for the benefit of our community; our state and our country.

My husband and I travel a lot and have seen several solar farms. They are far from an eyesore - in fact we are fond of the developments.
I refer to one example in particular at Gulgong, NSW - this town has seen all the fiscal benefits a project of this size brings to the region and it hasn’t detracted one bit from a beautiful heritage listed town.

I support this project based on the increasing importance of investing in renewable energy, the need for farmers to diversify and have an alternate income during times of drought and the creation of jobs in the area.
I understand the developer is working with landcare and plan to have a dense buffer of trees planted around the solar farm, reducing the visual impact and they will be encouraging biodiversity in the area by planting native foliage around dams, creating corridors and placing nesting boxes through out the site.
I have seen reports on the local news and also media articles on the project and wished to voice my own opinion as they seemed to be only showing the neighbouring property side and not pointing out benefits of the solar farm, and did not as I believe show 2 sides to the story.
I'm a supporter of renewable energy, live in the local area and wish to help combat climate change by supporting this project.

As a young boy growing up in Gunnedah I had heard and read Dorothea Mackellar’s poem ‘ My Country’ many times to the point the first verse is burnt in my memory…..‘I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains.’ Ever since Dorothea penned this poem, and well before, it is clear weather has always had a significant impact on the Australian economy and the livelihoods of all us, regionally and urban based.

As an adult living in the Walla Walla area who works in manufacturing and is heavily involved in the sourcing of raw materials I could not be more supportive of the Walla Walla Solar Farm proposal. There is no doubt droughts and floods impact the yields and prices I pay, but it is the volatility in the transport costs (oil/fuel) and the processing costs (power) that have become more volatile and unpredictable. Its these added costs that get passed right through the supply chain that we all wear and feel in the hip pocket. However the impact doesn’t stop just there, as at the super market shelf we are now competeting more and more with imports. Making the news recently was that a can of private label (home brand) corn kernels imported from overseas were cheaper than local product. We have also seen this year Dow Chemicals near Melbourne and Nestle’s Tongala plant close as they become less competitive citing energy cost and overseas imports. While much closer to home, Norkse Skog announced they will close their Albury plant citing ‘manufacturing is struggling in general and we seem to feel a lot of that through energy costs coming into play, the very high cost of electricity and gas’. How can local manufacturing compete when our input cost are so much higher and the ripple effect on these lost jobs in these communities will be felt right through all of the community, from the publican to the local pool and the schools themselves..

I have yet to see how anyone can justify how fossil fuel energy production has helped our economy in recent years. I hear people claim it will impact the ‘food bowl’ but again by not doing it and relying on fossil fuel we will just see more extremities weather related events and input costs and yields become more variable that will impact all of us in the longer run. From my experience this is the new norm, and a trend we don’t want to become our friend. Renewable is about helping provide more supply to benefit all of us. it is also clearly about making a long-term commitment to a sustainable, greener planet that will benefits, customers of quality Aussie produced goods and the communities that produce them.

Walla Walla and its community has a very strong rich pioneering history. It’s this pioneering history that will see this project not just succeed but how to succeed in a collaborative way that provides mutual benoits for all involved. This includes those in the ‘food bowl’ and for the industries, schools, services and wider community and even our natural attractions. Walla Walla is home to the nationally significant wetland, Gum Swamp. This river red gum swamp woodland is home to many native flora and fauna and hugely popular for bush walking, bird watching and in short puts Walla Walla. As a community doing our part to show the benefits of our adopting renewable energy has a much bigger impact on all of us if we choose to ignore it and lose the opportunity to not proceed. If industries were to close in Walla Walla, like those mentioned above, the loss of the wetland may not matter as the people that live here would have left to find jobs elsewhere. Walla Walla will than be just a historical footnote for what could have been.

The timing is now for Walla Walla to pioneer the long term mutual benefits that renewable energy will bring. Now is the time to capitalise on the opportunities offered by renewable power and to drive positive change in the environment and for the economy. Investing in solar power is a sound business decision in light of fluctuating energy costs in Australia and will allow farming and manufacturing to be competitive against global competitors. By adding renewables capacity we can shift the local market away from fossil fuels and start bringing down the country’s high emissions and fluctuating cost both economically and environmentally.

Australia is a sunburnt country so let’s embrace Solar, harness the source that we know best and support the Walla Walla Solar Farm.

Rgds
Mark Torrens

I support the project on a number of grounds.
Initially the project will employ a significant number of personnel during the construction phase, and will also create a number of full-time and casual roles in running and maintaining the facility and stimulating local economies through the enterprise. Given the present circumstances with climate change, this may also allow local farmers to pursue off farm work to supplement their income stream.
Secondly, the use of renewable energy reduces the dependence on fossil fuels, and Australia has an abundance of flat land and sunshine which lends itself well to solar energy generation.
Thirdly, the land can continue to by utilized for sheep or goat grazing, thus usage remains agricultural in nature whilst simultaneously reducing the potential fire hazard by removing the fuel load in an environmentally friendly manner.
My present employer has benefited from partnering with Downers on a similar project in central western NSW, being able to employ additional workers and increase skillsets of personnel involved in the construction phase. These workers have maintained their employment and are now engaged on other construction projects with the company since the completion of the solar farm undertaking.
Whilst some may comment on the aesthetics of solar farms, in the local area, the installation resembles an inland lake and visitors often mistake the panels for water when passing the facility.
Finally, in future, if technology or degradation leads to the installation no longer being economically viable, the land can be easily rehabilitated (much more so than an open cut mine!), and a large proportion of the construction materials recycled (aluminium, steel concrete etc.)
I trust you will find my support and observations valid and will endorse the project for construction.