'Vague and evasive': Battery defence falls flat as friends of valley charge up

Mint Renewables struck a deal with two landowners to create a 400-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) last year.

The company held three drop-in sessions over the weekend, with "about 100 people" attending the session on Friday night, February 2.

Mint Renewables said it would use the feedback gained at these sessions to lodge a planning application in the coming months (March/April).

Mint Renewables said Dederang was the ideal place for a BESS site due to existing infrastructure in the area.

"BESS are often co-located with or near a network connection point, such as a terminal station," a spokesperson said.

"This maximises the use of existing infrastructure to reduce impacts on nearby residents by minimising the need for new infrastructure.

"The Dederang terminal station provides essential, existing infrastructure, that supports the proposed BESS."

A key concern raised by some residents is the potential for environmental damage should a fire at the site occur.

They cite fires at the Victoria Big Battery near Geelong in 2021 and at the Bouldercombe BESS last year as examples of lithium battery sites gone wrong.

"Management plans are being developed to ensure that all potential impacts are managed, and all requirements are understood and addressed by the project," the spokesperson said.

Mint Renewables said management plans will set out the approach to minimising damage related to:

Another concern raised by residents is who will be responsible for the decommissioning of the site should Mint Renewables be sold or go bankrupt.

Mint Renewables is an off-shoot of a New Zealand-based, "global infrastructure" company called Infratel.

Infratel set up another company called Tilt Renewables in 2016 and sold their 65.5 per cent stake in 2021 for NZ $2 billion.

Some residents fear that Mint Renewables will construct the BESS and then sell it off, meaning they will have to deal with another company if the project goes sour in the future.

Mint Renewables said "the owner of the facility will be responsible for the decommissioning of the BESS".

"Requirements for decommissioning - such as reinstating the land - are set out in contracts with landowners and in planning and environmental approvals," they said.

"Decommissioning of the BESS facility will be undertaken in accordance with the applicable regulations that govern the transport and disposition of the used equipment or waste."

Mint Renewables said the project will benefit the region by creating local jobs and driving economic investment.

"Mint Renewables is committed to sharing the benefits of the project with the local community," they said.

"We've committed to a community benefit fund. The fund will be managed by a committee made up of representatives of the community and they will make decisions on how the funding is distributed."

After Friday's drop-in session, co-head of opposition group Friends of the Kiewa and Alpine Valleys Sharon McEvoy said it was clear Mint Renewables does not have the support of the community.

"Very clearly Mint representatives do not understand rural communities and how we operate and they had no idea what local CFA means and how it works," she said.

Mrs McEvoy, a CFA volunteer, said the map diagram of the proposal did not follow all CFA guidelines.

"The representatives did not understand local weather conditions and prevailing winds in the valley," she said.

"They had vague answers about an environmental impact study, noise mitigation and no clue about insurance and devaluation of property or the ambient temperature above a BESS on a hot day in summer.

"(And) seemingly no understanding that hydrogen flouride is the most dangerous toxic emission in the event of a BESS fire. (They) initially tried to tell us that 'hydrogen' was the main emission."

Mrs McEvoy said the group left the meeting with "so many questions unanswered".

"(There were) too many vague and evasive answers along the lines of 'we will comply with the guidelines/regulations'," she said.

"Mint Renewables are offering $70,000 per year ... to the community to buy our support.

"Yet all the risk of this infrastructure is carried by those closest to it."

Members of Friends of the Kiewa and Alpine Valleys planned to attend a "rally against reckless renewables" in front of Parliament House on Tuesday, February 6.

Groups involved in the protest say they are concerned about compulsory land acquisition and land clearance for transmission lines.

Coordinators say the main demand is an inquiry into the rollout of renewable energy and high-voltage transmission lines.

The Senate inquiry, if implemented, would examine the technical feasibility of all options and serve as a check on uncapped spending.

This comes after a major energy study released on Friday, February 2, highlighted regional communities' "lack of trust" in project developers.

Improved community consultation, better complaint handling through ombudsman roles and a rating system for developers are among nine recommendations of the review put forward by the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner.

All have been accepted in principle by the federal government.

The review was carried out after complaints in regional Australia about poor planning and a lack of consultation with farmers.