Victorian councils call for solar planning guidelines and clarity from State Government

A council in north-east Victoria has raised concerns about a lack of guidance around approving and reviewing solar planning projects.

While wind farms must be approved by Victoria's planning
 minister, solar farm approval falls to local government.

Campaspe Shire Council is reviewing plans for the development of a solar and battery project in Stanhope and is expected to vote on the issue this month.

The 30MW solar and 100MW battery project has been proposed by Australian-owned developer GloBird Energy and is estimated to cost $150 million.

If approved the battery would be the biggest in Victoria, with GloBird arguing it is needed to insure the local grid against power fluctuations from the big solar farms in Girgarre, Lancaster, and those proposed for Shepparton.

Read the ABC News story by Mahalia Dobson and Rhianon Tuffield - “Victorian councils call for solar planning guidelines and clarity from State Government.”

Climate Emergency Darebin Advisory Committee

Council is establishing a new organisation called Climate Emergency Darebin (CED) to help the Council to implement the Darebin Climate Emergency Plan.

The Climate Emergency Darebin (CED) Advisory Committee is assisting Council to implement the Darebin Climate Emergency Plan by:

• Collaborating with Council on the climate emergency (both problems and solutions), including on how to engage all levels of government

• Engaging with the community about the climate emergency and how a safe climate can be restored, including through knowledge sharing, capacity building, education and training

• Mobilising and activating the community broadly and deeply around the climate emergency issue, and facilitating community contributions to action, including via volunteerism and donations

• Researching and developing strategy and solutions relating to the climate emergency

• Advising Council on the establishment of the legal structure of Climate Emergency Darebin (CED), anticipated to be a Company limited by guarantee, and on a sustainable funding model for CED, identifying sources of funding

• Developing and/or trialling innovative programs and delivery mechanisms which can be scaled up to achieve significant change.

The advisory committee consists of six community members, two Councillors and the Darebin Council CEO and will continue to meet approximately monthly up to February 2019 to advise in establishing Climate Emergency Darebin.

Read what is happening in the City of Darebin -“Climate Emergency Darebin Advisory Committee.”

Solar farm support urged

State Member for Shepparton Suzanna Sheed believes the city’s council could use some Victorian Government help in assessing $300 million worth of solar farm applications, viewed by some councillors as problematic to determine.

Suzanna Sheed.

While Ms Sheed acknowledged the Moira Shire had no issue dealing with its own solar farm applications worth hundreds of millions, she identified a distinction between the land the solar farms were proposed for in the Moira Shire compared to Greater Shepparton.

‘‘Where a number of the applications, I understand, are to build on productive agricultural farming properties,’’ she said.

Ms Sheed said she had contacted Victoria’s planning minister outlining the concerns of constituents and objectors.

She said in circumstances where there was ‘‘a strong government policy to pursue renewable energy’’ she suggested help could be offered to ensure decisions made were sustainable in the future.

She suggested an expert panel to hear from all parties and assist in forming policy and guidelines.

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

Two councillors believe 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.

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.

While Ms Sheed understood Victoria’s Planning Department’s general view might be for councils to determine such applications, she said the importance for the right framework around solar farm projects was there.

‘‘We really welcome this sort of investment,’’ she said.

‘‘We know we’ve got significant policy challenges ahead, and renewable energy is part of the solution.

‘‘We’ve got sunshine and the capacity to host solar farms in that region and we would want to.’’

The council declined to comment on the matter last week and did not shed light on what would specifically be considered at this month’s meeting.

Thomas Moir’s story into today’s Shepparton News - “Solar farm support urged.”

Mitigation hostage to profit and growth

Mitigation of the world’s CO2 emissions is hostage to the capitalist profit and growth scenario.

Evidence of that can be seen today in a Melbourne Age today by environment reporter, Tom Arup, headed “Australian coal mining threatens CO2 target”.

Arup talked with the chief executive of the Minerals Council of Australia, Mitch Hooke, who pointed out, and probably correctly, that the proposal to stop Australia’s coal exports wouldn’t stop global coal use.

He said such a move, “Will just send Australian jobs offshore and deprive state and federal governments of billions in revenue.”

Hooke is correct, but someone, somewhere has to illustrate the courage and clarity of thinking to make decisions and take action to begin to end the pollution of our atmosphere.

Many would argue: “Why us?” and a reasonable response is “Why not?”

Undoubtedly the advocates of the continued mining, sale and use of coal could easily produce and array of catastrophic figures illustrating how and end to Australia’s coal exports would mean an end to modern Australia.

Equally those who advocate societal changes aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change could equally easily illustrate that the maintenance of a pattern that was simply business as usual will decimate Australian society,

The argument of the coal lobby is based on rude, brute figures that enforce costs against the commons while those attempting to mitigate climate change use science, reason and logic to illustrate their argument.

Science, reason and logic trump profit and growth.

At some stage, someone must ”draw first” – someone, somewhere has to decide that the welfare of our planet, and by implication the life that depends upon it, are more important than profit and growth.