Green Gold Australia’s Murrumbigee River Road solar farm approved by Hay Shire Council
Image: Stock
By Krista Schade
The latest in renewable energy projects went before the July meeting of Hay Shire Council, where the development was approved.
Green Gold Energy is proposing a five-megawatt solar farm on the property of Cameron and Lyn Clark, on the Murrumbidgee River Road.
The development will comprise approximately 12,000 solar panels, mounted on single axis tracking arrays, along with one central inverter and eight battery energy storage systems (BESS).
The motion was moved by Cr Darren Tapper, seconded by Cr Paul Porter and passed unanimously, after Council staff assessed the application and recommended the approval.
“I’m for renewables,” said Cr Tapper said, but he did question decommissioning processes.
“What is the Council’s involvement? This won’t be the first one, what’s our involvement for council?”
Mr Terblanche said the developer would need to apply for decommissioning approval, and return the site back to its natural state. He did say there could be an issue for waste removal, but noted that often solar panels are now recycled.
The life-span of the solar development is expected to be 25 to 30 years.
Cr Porter questioned the bushfire zone mapping, and Mr Terblanche stated consultations would continue with Rural Fire Service (RFS), and their report would form part of the conditions for construction.
“If a fire starts there, the RFS would have a problem,” Cr Porter said.
The site is approximately 15 kilometres northeast of Hay township. A high chain mesh fence will enclose the facility, and a new 650 metre access track will be constructed.
Executive Manager for Planning and Compliance Jack Terblanche told Council that the development would have little impact on traffic or visual aesthetic impact.
Environmental and Aboriginal heritage surveys have been conducted by Damien Wall, director of Red-Gum Environmental Consulting, and the report by Mr Wall noted no significant objects discovered.
Mr Wall and Mr Terblanche both recommend re-routing of access tracks away from significant areas, which has been adopted by the developer.
The developer, Green Gold Energy is a South Australian-based company that focuses on renewable energy, specifically solar farms and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
The company has a significant development pipeline, and has already developed over 1.1 gigawatt (GW) of solar and 1.2 GWh of BESS, with fifteen projects already operational across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland.
