Energy developers must fairly engage with the community and properly address the impacts of renewable projects on regions, NSW Farmers has told a state inquiry.
On Tuesday the state’s peak farm body appeared at a NSW Government inquiry into renewable energy zones, saying its calls to improve community engagement around the renewable transition were still yet to be answered.
“Our members are telling us that consultation with farming regions around these projects is still dysfunctional, and this must change if we are to sustain our farming communities,” NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said.
“Farmland we need is being taken away without proper engagement or compensation, and then there’s the huge pressure that these renewable projects are putting on local roads and towns during their construction.
“We’ve produced an updated guide to provide farmers with information in this transition, but we deserve proper communication from developers, so we get the right thing, in the right place, in the right way.”
Mr Martin said the NSW Government also had work to do to ensure farmers and communities weren’t unfairly footing the bill for direct and indirect costs and risks associated with renewable developments.
“At the moment, it seems any farmers will have to decommission these renewable installations once they reach the end of their lifespan, and anyone neighbouring a project isn’t guaranteed any compensation for the impact it has on their farm and its value,” Mr Martin said.
“Transmission lines also pose a real fire risk, and there aren’t any proper protocols in place to manage this.
“These are just some of the issues we must see fixed, so the race to renewables does not come at the cost of our food and fibre, or the farm communities that produce it.”
Source: NSW Farmers
legislation in NSW says “the developer SHOULD rehabilitate the site” not MUST as is the case with mining.If you look at the 2 big wind farms in Tasmania, Woolworth & Musselroe bay. The developer after building , has leased 70% of the project to the Chinese Govt who happily collect our taxpayer funded subsidies. One might wonder if at the end of the projects life,does the developer have sufficient funds to rehabilitate the site?I;m dam sure the Chinese Govt won’t be lining up.Musselroe bay is an interesting case built on a well regarded merino sheep farm “Portland” Once ran 25,000 sheep and regarded by shearers as the best shed on the island. However when the Greens said that the sheep attracted wedge tail eagles the operator simply sold off the sheep and pulled down the woodshed.The onus is wholly on the land holder to bash out a deal that suits him . I wonder though if when doing so they ask to include a clause that requires any subleasing of the project to be followed with a like responsibility to rehabilitate. would the project happen?There is no mention of any protections in the legislation for the landholder you are on your own.At the end of the project if the developer has no money then any agreement is worthless