Solar power struggle

Solar farm applications totalling more than $300 million will be addressed at a Greater Shepparton City Council meeting this month.

But two councillors say the proposals are problematic for the council to determine and fear a situation where whatever the resolution, the matters may end up at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Solar power struggle in the Goulburn Valley.

Victoria’s Planning Minister has yet to decide whether he will determine the projects, estimated to produce a total 200 MW of power for the region.

The council had in November voted for its chief executive to request the minister to decide on the solar farm planning applications in Greater Shepparton and establish a process providing an opportunity for affected stakeholders to be heard.

The council is keeping quiet on the matter for now and did not shed light on what would specifically be considered.

Councillors will be briefed next week ahead of the meeting.

The council declined to comment on the matter, and Mayor Kim O’Keeffe, when contacted, also declined to comment.

Five solar farm proposals — located in Tatura East, Tallygaroopna, Lemnos, Congupna and Mooroopna — were detailed in a council report last year. These projects are expected to produce an estimated output of 217 MW and cost a total $316 million, according to council projections.

The council’s main concern with the applications is ‘‘whether the loss of productive agricultural land . . . for a solar farm produces acceptable planning outcomes’’.

Officers would need to consider conflicting policies and decide on net benefit.

Cr Dennis Patterson said the council needed guidance from the Victorian Government on the applications, arguing it constituted new territory to decide on.

‘‘These are the things we have to be careful on,’’ he said, adding it wouldn’t be ideal for the matters to be decided at VCAT.

Regarding uncertainty around the impact of solar farms on orchards, Cr Patterson said it was a ‘‘complicated scenario’’ where facts needed to be found.

Cr Chris Hazelman said: ‘‘We’ve heard the relevant objections from people nearby, which indicates concerns about the science, about amenity, about the alienation of agricultural land.

‘‘And in the absence of those guidelines, it would appear that regardless of what decision council makes, either for or against . . . it will inevitably end up in VCAT. It’s going to make it difficult.’’

Asked about the Greater Shepparton solar farm applications, a spokesperson for Planning Minister Richard Wynne said the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning had prepared advice for the minister to consider, and he would make his ruling in due course.

Guidelines assisting solar farm proponents with navigating social and environment-related matters in the planning permit preapplication and application processes are in their final stages, The News understands.

This story from today’s Shepparton News - “Solar power struggle.”