Press releases

MEDIA RELEASE

24 February 2025

The Goulburn Group (TGG) is insisting on benefits to the local community of at least $340,000 a year if the Gundary solar farm receives approval from the NSW government.

This would be the value of community benefits each year, indexed for inflation, for the estimated 40-year life of the project.

“It would mean a total of $13.6 million in today’s dollars to support local sport, the environment, the arts and other volunteer activities,” said TGG President Penny Ackery.

“Beyond that, it could provide low-cost housing and fund really important initiatives such as the Goulburn to Crookwell rail trail, which would attract large numbers of visitors and boost the local economy.”

As well as benefit sharing, TGG has asked the developer, Lightsource bp, to commit to a substantial training program in conjunction with TAFE, funding for social housing and sheep grazing on the solar farm.

These are four “non-negotiables” without which TGG has made clear to Lightsource bp it will not support the development.

TGG believes large renewable projects can make an important contribution to tackling the climate crisis. But they must be accompanied by significant and long-term benefits to the local community.

“We were very disappointed by the EIS (environmental impact statement) that the company submitted to the State government because, for a development of this scale, it offered very little specifically in terms of benefits,” said Ms Ackery. “Without them, we are simply not prepared to back the project.

“We received a good hearing when we met recently with company representatives and we now look forward to their detailed response.”

As part of the approval process, Lightsource bp is preparing responses to submissions made by TGG and others to the NSW government.

TGG argued in its submission that the company should commit at a minimum to the NSW Planning Department guideline of $850 per megawatt per annum for the life of solar farms. For the 400MW solar farm planned for Gundary, this would mean $340,000, increased each year for inflation.

It also said in the submission, and repeated at its meeting with Lightsource bp, that it should give preference to hiring local employees, including for those it had helped train, and to local businesses. The submission argued that the neighbourhood benefits program offered to nearby residents should be increased and that there should be other improvements that responded to their legitimate concerns.

Further information: Penny Ackery pennysteel@icloud.com 0407 726 568; Mike Steketee msteketee05@gmail.com 0439 981 050