![Gundary landowner Troy McNally was among residents who called for Goulburn's inclusion in planning legislation for large-scale renewable energy projects. He will be almost completely surrounded by solar panels if the Gundary solar farm goes ahead. Picture by Louise Thrower. Gundary landowner Troy McNally was among residents who called for Goulburn's inclusion in planning legislation for large-scale renewable energy projects. He will be almost completely surrounded by solar panels if the Gundary solar farm goes ahead. Picture by Louise Thrower.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/42d9bed5-6039-4c22-8a1b-2f9066bc1841.JPG/r0_0_4288_2830_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Goulburn's inclusion in laws governing large-scale renewable energy projects is not deterring two companies from pressing ahead with solar farm plans.
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Before Christmas, the state government agreed to include Goulburn in its Infrastructure State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP): Renewable Energy and Regional Cities legislation. The council had argued the case for more than a year but was initially left out of consideration, despite Albury, Wagga Wagga, Armidale and five other regional cities being covered by the laws.
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It means that companies proposing large-scale renewable energy projects near identified regional cities will be subject to higher-level planning assessment. They must consider an area's growth strategy, scenic and landscape qualities, avoid land-use conflict, among other impacts.
Goulburn's inclusion comes as two companies are in various stages of planning for large-scale solar farms.
Lightsource bp wants to build a $540 million 400-megawatt development across 632 hectares off Windellama, Mountain Ash and Kooringaroo Roads, southeast of the city. The Gundary Solar Farm project has angered a group of landholders, who also called for Goulburn's inclusion in the SEPP.
In addition, ITP Development, is proposing the 450MW Merino solar farm proposed for 700 hectares in two stages, one just south of Goulburn airport and the other off Painters Lane, also southeast of Goulburn.
Both are state significant projects.
A Lightsource spokesman said the company would continue to progress its plan. Some 364ha of the proposed site, closer to Windellama Road, is included in the state planning department's defined boundary for Goulburn under the SEPP but 268ha is not. It means only a portion will be subject to the legislation.
"The inclusion of Goulburn as a Regional City under the SEPP will require additional development assessment considerations - such as future growth, scenic quality, and landscape character - which will be included as part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) being undertaken for the project," he said.
"Lightsource bp intends to submit the EIS to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment in the second half of 2023.
"Being responsible neighbours and members of the local community is a crucial element of all Lightsource bp projects. We will continue to prioritise engagement with the local community and incorporate feedback as the project progresses."
![Up to one million solar panels would be installed across the Gundary Plains as part of the proposed Gundary Solar Farm project. Picture by Louise Thrower. Up to one million solar panels would be installed across the Gundary Plains as part of the proposed Gundary Solar Farm project. Picture by Louise Thrower.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/5cabf868-bc27-4724-acbc-30aacd7890fb.JPG/r0_38_4288_2687_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The company noted that Goulburn's inclusion did not prohibit state significant or regionally significant solar or wind electricity generating development within the area outlined.
Meantime, the state's defined area also includes all of the Merino solar farm's proposed stage one, near Goulburn airport. Stage two, behind Wakefield Park, is out of the zone.
An ITP Development spokesman said the SEPP introduced another element for consideration.
"This is one of a broad range of legislative and compliance issues that the project will contemplate in undertaking our work to develop the solar farm proposal," he said.
"As we are still at the very early stages of the development process, where we are engaging with the community and undertaking preliminary studies. The SEPP requirements will be added into the mix of criteria that we address as we progress with development and design.
"The large scale solar energy guidelines published by Department of Planning and Environment, which also help to inform our development works, cover much of the same ground as the SEPP requirements. Where the SEPP varies from these requirements we will ensure that our planning works contemplate and consider these departures as we progress."
The company met with neighbours before Christmas to hear "firsthand their thoughts and concerns."
In response, the company has released an updated site map, showing project boundaries, locations for the substation, switching station and battery energy storage system. This infrastructure is pegged for 8ha near the existing 330 kilovolt transmission line.
![Update mapping for the Merino Solar Farm has been released. A substation, marked in blue is planned for stage one (above) south of Goulburn airport between Windellama and Braidwood Roads. Stage two (below) is off Painters Lane. Image supplied. Update mapping for the Merino Solar Farm has been released. A substation, marked in blue is planned for stage one (above) south of Goulburn airport between Windellama and Braidwood Roads. Stage two (below) is off Painters Lane. Image supplied.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/FkT3ZusFw5YrTvZCipmLUF/f29865c2-30a8-43ed-a8da-578200856f76.jpg/r0_0_566_732_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Goulburn Mulwaree Council will also receive the map.
Planning director Scott Martin said the government's decision to include Goulburn in the SEPP was "a good thing."
He said the state's defined area loosely matched what the council expected if the city had been included in the first place. The legislation was intended to apply stricter planning considerations for large-scale renewable energy projects within 10km of a commercial core zone and within 5km of R1, R2 and R3 residential zones.
"We always knew with our Housing Strategy that anything south of the Hume Highway was never going to be of an urban scale," he said.
"That's where the large lot zones would be focused due to constraints like flooding, servicing water and sewer and access.
"...Our intention was to make sure that any solar farm in close proximity to the city would be put through an additional layer of assessment...What this means is that there can still be a large solar farm between the airport and the city but the additional criteria required by the SEPP ensures community concerns on things like visual and amenity impacts play a slightly greater role in the assessment."
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