Independent panel approves Sydney big battery sent for review by objectors from tiny towns 800 km away

A major battery project proposed for construction in the centre of Sydney has been approved for development by an independent panel, after it was sent there by protests from residents of two tiny towns located around 800 kilometres away.

The New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) on Friday granted consent to the development application from network company Ausgrid to build a 200 megawatt (MW), 431 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery in Homebush, next to an existing sub-station and right next to the M4 Western Freeway.

The $215 million battery will be located 13 km from the Sydney CBD and not far from the geographical centre of the Sydney metropolitan area.

But that did not stop the project from attracting 12 submissions opposing its development from Moulamein, a tiny town with a population of less than 500 that is about 806 km from Sydney in the south-west of NSW. Six more came from the nearby small town of Barham, 823 km from Sydney, and 19 came from interstate.

In NSW, a project must be referred to the IPC if 50 or more parties object to its development, regardless of where those parties live. In the case of the Homebush battery energy storage system (BESS), just one of the 59 objections came from a party living within 5 km of the project site.

This has been a consistent hurdle for wind, solar, battery d transmission projects in the state, giving renewable energy opponents from all corners of the country an easy avenue for protest, even if projects are not in their back yard, or even in their state.

But as Renew Economy reported in July, the Homebush BESS has provided one of the most striking examples of the ability of special interest groups to hijack the planning process in NSW.

In its Reasons for the Decision, published on Friday last week, the IPC said the Homebush BESS would “support the state’s transition to a lower-carbon energy system and deliver benefits to the state’s electricity network, by supporting the integration of renewable energy resources.”

In response to submissions that raised concerns about the fire risk of the BESS, the IPC said it agreed with the state government department’s assessment that the fire and hazard risks for the project can be managed – and also noted that Fire and Rescue NSW “has no outstanding concerns” about the battery.

“The Commission has considered other issues associated with the project, including traffic, water and soil management, flooding, bushfire, heritage, land-use compatibility, waste, air quality, decommissioning and rehabilitation, as well as social and economic impacts within the locality,” the decision says.

“The Commission agrees with the Department’s assessment of these matters and is satisfied that impacts associated with these issues can be managed through the imposed conditions of development consent.”

The IPC also notes that the project is proposed for development on a site that is “zoned specifically for the purposes of electricity supply and contains existing electricity infrastructure.”

Ausgrid hopes to begin construction of the battery this year.

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