The New South Wales legislative council’s first report on the impact of renewable energy zones on rural and regional communities found that residents near the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone (CWO REZ) have been negatively affected.
The CWO REZ spans about 20,000 square km, covering the communities of Mudgee, Dubbo, Dunedoo and surrounding towns and villages located 330 to 400 km northwest of Sydney.
The report, titled “The Impact of Renewable Energy Zones on Rural and Regional Communities and Industries in New South Wales: First Report,” makes recommendations to address the impacts in the CWO REZ region.
Chaired by Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party member of the legislative council Mark Banasiak, the committee issued five recommendations, finding that “a significant proportion of the Central-West Orana community believe the CWO REZ has negatively impacted the region.”
This conclusion comes despite a New South Wales government commitment of AUD 128 million (USD 83 million) to the CWO REZ community benefit program, which includes AUD 15 million for a community fund, AUD 500,000 in small grants, AUD 10 million for a First Nations fund, and AUD 2.9 million for the Renewable Energy Skills Legacy Program to boost the regional energy workforce.
The report said uncertainty over project development approvals is causing concern in communities, with repercussions from inadequate consultation between the government, renewable developers and the CWO community “eroding social cohesion and undermining the social license of renewable energy operators in the region.”
The government has granted CWO REZ access rights to 10 renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of 7.7 GW of renewable energy and storage. Projects include the Lightsource bp Sandy Creek and Pacific Partnerships Cobbora solar farms and batteries.
The ACEREZ consortium is building new transmission lines and infrastructure, while Tilt Renewables’ Liverpool Range Wind Farm, ACEN’s Birriwa Solar and battery energy storage system, and Squadron Energy’s Spicers Creek Wind Farm are approved and advancing.
The report also said communities are concerned about local agricultural industries, calling on the government to monitor impacts and address public liability insurance for properties adjacent to developments.
It further found that the CWO REZ has created significant challenges for local councils.
The report recommends an independent cumulative impact study, that EnergyCo provide mental health support to affected landowners, a review of the use of social impact assessments, and that payments for land acquisitions not be taxed.
The final recommendation calls on the New South Wales government to identify ecological protection and restoration priorities for each of the state’s renewable energy zones and to encourage developers to contribute to regional environmental outcomes.
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