Contested NSW solar and battery project cleared for construction near ACT border

The spate of renewable energy project approvals in New South Wales continues this week with the 100MW Wallaroo Solar Farm and 45MW/90MWh battery energy storage system waved through with a number of conditions.

The solar farm, located south of the rural area of Wallaroo – adjacent to the border between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory – was granted approval on Wednesday by the NSW Independent Planning Commission.

The New Energy Development project, which is expected to generate power equivalent to the needs of approximately 40,000 homes, was referred to the IPC by the NSW government after receiving more than 50 objections to its development.

The state-significant proposal on land owned by Canberra’s Notaras family in the Yass Valley has been the centre of cross-border debate, at one point prompting ACT chief minister Andrew Barr to write to NSW premier Chris Minns requesting territory residents be better represented in consultations.

Nearby residents and landholders largely on the ACT side of the border raised concerns the solar farm would be an eyesore and detract from the rural character of the area, as well as pose noise, dust and pollution risks.

The Yass Valley Council also objected to the project, saying it was “more akin to an industrial activity and … inconsistent with protecting the landscape values of the locality and the rural character and amenity as envisaged in the buffer area along the border of Yass Valley and the ACT.”

A public meeting with the three-member Commission Panel heard from 27 speakers and the IPC received 153 written submissions from the local community during its assessment process.

While ultimately approved for development, the project is subject to conditions, including the use of vegetation for visual screening, road and intersection upgrades, and the preparation of a decommissioning and rehabilitation plan. A total of 16 hectares of the solar farm’s footprint will be dedicated to native vegetation planting.

The solar farm’s developer, New Energy Development, will also be required to consult with relevant agencies from both the NSW and ACT governments in preparing a number of management plans.

New Energy Development says it expects construction to begin in early 2025 and be completed during 2026.