More solar sites sought
Acenergy is on the lookout for more localities for solar farms as it aims to monopolise micro solar projects in the region.
The renewable energy company has had four locations approved across the region — at Stanhope, Girgarre, Echuca and Numurkah — each of which is about 10 ha and will produce about 5 MW of power.
Chris Smith & Associates prepared the applications on behalf of Acenergy, and their town planner Duncan Lowis said Acenergy’s ultimate goal was to have its name attached to 20 solar farms, all of the same size and power output.
Mr Lowis said the end result would mean having the equivalent land covered of some of the bigger projects around the region but it would be spread out, allowing farmers to still farm on part of their land.
The Stanhope area seems to be a hotspot for proposals, with an application in the hands of Campaspe Shire Council for Carag Carag Rd, Carag Carag.
This application has been submitted by Enerparc Australia for 37 ha of land, where a 14.1 ha solar farm will be built.
The land is currently owned by SHSTE Holdings Pty Ltd and will produce 12 MW of power, enough to power about 5000 homes.
The subject site, which is currently vacant, is about 9 km west of Stanhope and 25 km south-east of Rochester.
This brings the total number of solar projects across northern Victoria and the southern Riverina to 34, not counting a Globird Energy proposal at Stanhope, which was refused due to heavy backlash from nearby residents.
In other news, Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne has made changes to state planning rules to ensure planning permits will now be required for the power lines that connect new large-scale electricity generators to the energy network.
The change means where new power lines are required to connect a wind or solar farm into the grid they will go through a thorough and transparent planning assessment process to ensure the views of the community are heard and potential impacts are mitigated.
These changes bring Victorian regulation into line with other states.