Add Category
Plans for a large-scale solar farm in the NSW Central West have been thrown into doubt with the government revealing tough new regulations for the town of Mudgee.
Key points:
- The NSW government has made sweeping changes to its State Environmental Planning Policies
- The new regulations make it easier to reject solar and wind farms on the grounds of visual and aesthetic impacts
- Country towns such as Mudgee and Goulburn have been added to the list of zones the new policies will apply to
The Burrundulla Solar Project on the outskirts of the winegrowing region had attracted criticism from farmers and tourism operators.
Andrew Palmer from the Mudgee Chamber of Commerce described it as a "scar on the landscape" that would leave a bad impression on tourists.
The new rules make it easier to block renewable energy projects on the grounds they ruin the "scenic quality" of regional towns such as Mudgee.
The changes to the State Environmental Planning Policy means solar and wind projects will be rejected if they are deemed to impact views, scenic quality, or future land use.
On Wednesday, the government announced Mudgee and Goulburn would be added to the list of towns "protected" by the new policies.
Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders insisted the changes were not prompted by Mudgee's controversial Burrundulla Solar Project.
However Mr Saunders said this could ward off other similar large-scale solar developments which were "encroaching" on regional towns.
"This is about protecting local character, supporting future growth of towns like Mudgee," Mr Saunders said.
"If you're a developer you know you won't be developing within around a 10km zone at a large scale around Mudgee, but there's plenty of places around Mudgee that are being developed already."
NSW Farmers chairman Alan Brown said the new rules were "music to our ears".
"We are very relieved with the changes to the rules around placement of renewable developments," Mr Brown said.
"We have been campaigning against developments, mainly solar, on productive land in higher rainfall zones."
The Burrundulla Solar Project has been referred back to the Local Environment Court, which will decide its fate.
The new policy also applies to Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Dubbo, Griffith, Goulburn, Orange, Tamworth, and Wagga Wagga.
The Burrundulla Solar Project landowners have been contacted for comment.
Mid-Western Regional Council Mayor Des Kennedy said he supported the new restrictions on the grounds they would preserve the region's tourism industry.
"The tourism industry is worth $101 million per annum to the local economy, with more than half a million visitors travelling to the region each year to enjoy our wineries and beautiful landscape," Cr Kennedy said.
"Council is not opposed to renewable projects, and there are multiple located throughout our region, however consideration must be given to the most appropriate location and the SEPP will aid in this."
Mr Palmer said he welcomed tougher new regulations for solar projects in Mudgee.
"The fringes of towns aren't the appropriate places for them," Mr Palmer said.
"Locating these types of projects on the edge of those centres could be very restrictive for those centres in the future, and also the aesthetics are not appropriate."