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Regional NSW doing the "heavy lifting" for renewable energy

Western Plains App

Kristin Murdock

04 May 2023, 9:20 PM

Regional NSW doing the "heavy lifting" for renewable energyRenewable energy facilities can cause divisions within the community claims CMA.

Renewable energy should not come at the cost of harmony in regional areas, a prominent political group claims.

 

The 132MW Nevertire Solar Farm near Warren is just one example of regional NSW being made to bear the brunt of energy production for the wider community according to recent reports.

 

The Country Mayor's Association (CMA) says that as renewable energy projects sweep through rural areas, State and Federal Governments have not kept pace with change.

 

"The city and regions are reliant on each other, the food and fibre along with the minerals and energy produced in Regional NSW is critical to the prosperity of the state; the majority supply of renewable energy should not be a burden on regional NSW," Chairman Jamie Chaffey said.


 

Craig Davies, Narromine Shire Council Mayor and a member of the Executive Committee of the CMA said the group wants the general public to be aware of these important issues.

 

"The majority of renewable energy resources are based in regional NSW," Mr Davies said. "Our areas carry the burden of development and of communities being disrupted and the benefits are felt in the cities. This is about awareness as much as anything."

 

Mr Davies said he recently attended a meeting to discuss a wind farm proposed for south-east of Narromine, along the Harvey Ranges.


"The turbines are 250 metres high," he said. "They are massive and incredibly divisive for the community - while it's an economic bonanza for those landholders who own the land where they are built, the next door neighbour gets nothing. Yet, the impacts are felt throughout the community."

 

The CMA concur, saying wind farms installed or under development in the most controversial locations are pitting neighbour against neighbour. Another issue in their firing line is that these renewable energy installations require the establishment of extremely expensive high voltage transmission towers to connect back into the grid, causing the escalation of the cost of power to Regional NSW.

 

“The CMA stands firm in our pursuit of equity of service provision for the residents of our communities. We stand united with our members to advocate for residents who choose to call country NSW homes," Chairman Chaffey said.

 

Mr Davies predicted a different future in regard to renewable energy.

"A big problem is that technology will see things like wind and solar farms redundant into the future and then who's going to clean up what's left behind?"