Locals cry foul on Bathurst solar-driven power station

As suburban streets wend their way through the city to Eglinton, there's no surprise as to where the city will expand to in the future.

Workers were busy finishing houses this week, and land kilometres beyond has been earmarked for residential development as part of Bathurst Regional Council's 2040 vision for the city.

Where the edge of new housing estates now stop, undulating farms spread out on hilly box country.

One of those farms, Cangoura, a 505-hectare farm is in the sights of Neoen, a French-owned solar company looking to build a 200-megawatt power station.

Neoen hasn't yet submitted a planning application, but its sheer size would immediately have it declared a state significant project.

A 330-kilovolt power line, flanked by two 132kv lines transgresses Cangoura, meaning access to the National Electricty Market is at hand.

Part of the Murray Darling Basin, East Saltram and Saltram Creeks run through the area.

THE Saltram Creek Landcare Group was among the first in NSW, formed in 1987, well before former Prime Minister Bob Hawke declared at Wentworth in July 1989 a billion trees needed to be planted rapidly to abate land degradation.

So an enthusiastic Andrew Rendall, then 19, went to work with local landholders to protect the severely eroded East Saltram Creek.

Their efforts made the cover of The Land on August 30, 1990 - 30 years ago.

In that article, former editor Peter Austin reported Russell Carrig had major erosion problems on Toora, at the top of the creek's catchment.

"Topsoil from his exposed slopes was being scoured by every downpour, carried by the fast-running creek through gullies (12 metres) deep and deposited as silt in the creek's lower reaches," The Land reported.

Now Mr Rendall looks out over hilly land dotted by clumps of remnant bush and century-old paddock trees and wonders what will happen to the five-square kilometres of land cleared for solar panels without the trees to anchor the hills.

He reckons the project is poor use of prime agricultural land and would be a bad outcome for the greater vista of a future Bathurst.

He points at clearly visible Mount Panorama and says "half of Bathurst will be able to see it".

THE panels will rotate to maximise sun exposure, said Mr Rendall, and pointed out his front window at a ridge westwards that will host panels if the project is approved, suggesting solar glare would be a major issue.

His son Sam, 18, just a year younger than his father was 30 years ago at Landcare's beginnings, and looking to take on the farm, doesn't like the idea of the project.

"It's a shame to think of this happening here and the work dad did, I want to live my life here too."

But developer Neoen says Mr Rendall's concerns will be addressed.

Neoen Australia head of development Garth Heron said the project was at its very beginnings.

And with like any major infrastructure development there are concerns.

"We understand they have concerns and we will be speaking with everyone," said Mr Heron.

He said while there was generally tree clearing when it came to solar developments, a number of important tree clusters had already been identified and ecologists would study them.

"We have to consider trees of particular value, habitat trees particularly, but we did choose this site because there are relatively few trees compared with other options," he said.

"We've so far had an open day to explain what the project could be and will have another when we've further advanced.

"But we're going to take our time to get it right."

Neoen currently had Parkes, Griffith, Dubbo, Coleambally in NSW and Numurkah in Victoria operational, he said.

Neoen would continue to own and operate the site during its lifespan, said Mr Heron.

He said the company was in the process of developing systems that could have agriculture and Australia's solar industry working hand in hand.

An initial experiment at Parkes grazing 400 sheep in and around solar panels has been extended to all its current operations.

"We've found during intense drought you can run more sheep with the panels there," he said.

"Moisture in the air condenses overnight and then drips off the edge of the panels, growing grass.

"It's been very successful."

Mr Heron played down the issue of solar flare, saying panels were generally less reflective than water, because they had many layers of anti-reflective coating.

"The idea is to catch the sun's rays."

Extensive screening with trees would also reduce any flare problems, he said.

Ultimately it will be the state government that decides whether the project is appropriate or not.

Currently a project at Culcairn may be forwarded to the Independent Planning Commission for a final decision.

Mr Heron said there would be no funding sought from the Australian Renewable Energy Authority to construct the power station.

"The days of subsidies are over," he said.

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