Decision on solar farms now out of council's hands

Greater Shepparton City Council will no longer need to deal with four large-scale solar applications after handing them over to the Victorian planning minister at Tuesday’s meeting.

Greater Shepparton Mayor,
Kim O'Keeffe.

Solar farm planning permit applications for Tallygaroopna, Congupna, Lemnos and Tatura East were called in by Planning Minister Richard Wynne ahead of the meeting.

‘‘Our Planning Minister Richard Wynne has pulled it in and he’ll have a specialised expert panel that will listen,’’ City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Kim O’Keeffe said.

‘‘We’re very pleased that it’s been acknowledged as a priority.’’

Objector to the application in Tatura East, Geoff Slorach, said he and the fellow residents concerned with the application were pleased Mr Wynne would deal with the potential solar farms.

‘‘The council has taken the right approach by not making the decision and passing it onto the planning minister,’’ he said.

‘‘They’re not qualified and not informed enough and they’re out of their depth because of the magnitude of the projects, the ongoing effects to residents, the impact to growers and also the loss of water infrastructure.’’

Cr O’Keeffe acknowledged the fact it was difficult for the council to make decisions when it came to solar because there were no Victorian Government guidelines set in place.

‘‘We really didn’t have anything to go by and it’s very difficult to make decisions (when that’s the case),’’ she said.

‘‘There’s definitely a need for renewable energy and we know that and there’s obviously huge economic opportunity but it also has to come back to the right location.’’

Mr Slorach echoed Cr O’Keeffe’s sentiment and said although he was pro-solar, he had concerns about the proposed location.

‘‘I fully support solar farms and the reasons for them but they have to be designed in the right areas and hopefully the planning minister will take on board what they’ve done in NSW (and set some guidelines),’’ he said.

Cr O’Keeffe said an external panel would work with Mr Wynne and they had requested the panel come to Shepparton.

‘‘We have also put in some comments and some proposals that we would like considered which is obviously very important,’’ she said.

Timelines for the panel hearing are not yet known.

Story from today’s Shepparton News by Tara Whitsed - “Decision out of their hands.”