Farmers vote in favour of nuclear plants, but oppose ban on new wind and solar

NSW Farmers will advocate for nuclear power plants to be built in place of retiring coal-fired stations despite a failed push to oppose new renewable solar and wind projects.

Farmers and industry leaders from across the state were in on Sydney on Tuesday for the annual NSW Farmers conference, where the topics of energy transition and future food production are on the table.

In an overwhelming vote, farmers and industry representatives supported the location of nuclear power plants at coal-fired power sites.

The federal opposition in June announced a policy to build nuclear plants on coal sites – two of which are located in NSW at the Liddell power station in the Hunter Valley and Mount Piper in Lithgow.

Farmer Ross Durham supported the coalition’s plan which he said would provide a baseline energy source for the state, while others argued there had been an over-investment in “unreliable” renewables.

“We need to at least have (nuclear) as an option in the mix,” Mr Durham said.

“The infrastructure are already there. The efficiencies are going to be there.”

A dissenting farmer argued that like renewable projects, communities should be offered an opportunity to be consulted about nuclear power.

A motion for a moratorium on industrial scale wind and solar developments in NSW did not pass and was sent to an association committee to be reviewed.

Those in favour of the moratorium said there was a lack of transparency and safety concerns around projects, arguing they were only calling for a temporary halt.

There had been little transparency and consultation on the environmental impacts of large-scale renewable developments, Guyra farmer James Jackson said.

Others argued the motion was based on ideology and renewable projects were critical for the nation’s future power supply.

Premier Chris Minns and his agriculture and energy and environment ministers will address the conference on Wednesday.