Uncertainty about solar project

As Victoria’s planning minister considers the outcomes of four Greater Shepparton solar developments, no timelines have been set for a fifth solar project that had been earmarked for land south of Mooroopna.

Greater Shepparton City Council chief executive Peter Harriott had last year been optimistic of the first sod being turned on it last year.

More than six months later, the council last week said while the tender process had been completed on the project, confidential negotiations were continuing.

The News last week asked the council what the status of the proposal was and what the next steps were.

The council was asked whether a group had been selected to lead the proposal yet, whether the project had timelines attached and whether the project was awaiting a set of guidelines being created by the Victorian Government for such solar developments.

‘‘The tender process has been undertaken and confidential negotiations are currently under way,’’ council’s sustainable development director Geraldine Christou said in a statement.

‘‘There are no timelines available at this stage for when an announcement will be made.’’

Asked whether the proposal for a GV Link freight and logistics hub had the potential to impact the progress of the solar farm proposal or shift it to different land, The News was told the two proposals were planned for seperate but adjacent plots of land.

Former mayor Dinny Adem expected that developers of the council’s Mooroopna solar farm would be formalised at a council meeting last year, but that timelines had not at the time been set in stone at the time.

Following an expressions of interest callout to parties interested in leasing land south of Mooroopna for a large-scale solar facility, the council moved to a limited tender process to develop the facility.

Prior to this, the net had been cast out for those interested in developing a large-scale solar farm on GV Link land.

The council had last year hoped the development would be capable of producing a minimum of 10 megawatts, and that the facility might help reverse uncertainty caused by extra energy costs estimated as being in the millions for some businesses.

Story by Thomas Moir from The Shepparton News - “Uncertainty about solar project.”