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Friday, August 11, 2023

Goulburn community solar farm sees local investors take action against climate change and power bills - ABC News

At Dimity Taylor's sheep farm at Bannister, north of Goulburn, the spinning shadows of 50-metre-long wind turbine blades sweep across her property at sunset.

She not only lives happily at the feet of one of the region's many wind farms, she does not mind the sound either.

"The reflection off the turbines during sunset is just so beautiful," she said.

"There is some noise occasionally, but it's got to be perfect conditions, and even then, when we do hear them, it kind of sounds like the ocean."

A group of wind turbines are silhouetted against the sky at sunset.
Ms Taylor's property sits next to one of the Upper Lachlan's many wind farms.(ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale)

After living alongside one form of renewable energy, she is now investing in another.

Ms Taylor is one of 300 Goulburn residents who have bought into a nearly $5 million solar farm being built by a community organisation called Community Energy 4 Goulburn on the town's outskirts to feed power into the grid.

"I think people are just excited that the community is owning it and it's not some big foreign company," she said.

"We actually get to be owning this project and driving this project from our community and being the change we want to see happen."

Ed Suttle stands in a largely empty paddock wearing a orange high vis vest and smiling.
Ed Suttle says the solar farm will be the first of its kind in Australia.(ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale)

How the project works

Investors can buy into the project by purchasing one solar panel for just $400, with some chipping in $100,000.

Ed Suttle is a cattle breeder and vice president of the group which runs the project Community Energy 4 Goulburn.

He said the 4,500-panel farm would be the first community-owned solar farm in Australia with a battery.

"It was the brainchild of five or six of us and it's the classic kitchen table discussion — people were fed up with the apparent lack of activity at state and federal levels about developing renewables and ending fossil fuels," he said.

Aerial of sheep wandering among the solar panels at Numurkah solar farm
Co-op members expect to make a 5 per cent annual return on their investment.(ABC News)

"So, in short, we felt we needed to do something ourselves."

All the energy produced will be sold into the grid, and the 2-hectare site for the solar farm is conveniently located next to power lines.

Its estimated investors will receive a return on their investment of about 5 per cent a year.

Community energy projects have boomed in recent years, with an estimated 145 groups operating across Australia — three times as many as eight years ago.

The Goulburn solar farm will operate as a cooperative where each investor receives one vote on matters concerning the project.

This ensures all investors get an equal say regardless of the size of their investment.

Stan stands in a paddock with his two dogs. He is wearing a black jumper and grey trousers.
Stan Moore is disappointed with the consultation about a commercial solar farm planned for next to his property.(ABC Illawarra: Tim Fernandez)

Goulburn's growth in renewable energy causing friction

Goulburn is also attracting the interest of big players in the renewable energy space.

British energy giant BP plans to build a 740,000-panel solar farm across 700 hectares at the Gundary Plains, 12km south of Goulburn.

Gundary farmer Stan Moore has been disappointed by his interactions with the company.

"All they do is come along and tell us how good it's going to be for us," he said.

"I've suggested to them maybe they would like to purchase this property if they think there's no impact on value — give us the price plus a premium for the inconvenience.

"You keep it, and you sell it and see what you can do with it — no, the consultation process is bordering on being a sham."

A spokesperson for Lightsource BP, a subsidiary of the energy giant, said it had engaged with the local community extensively over the past year.

As a result of this feedback the company has updated the layout to remove infrastructure from around 50 hectares of the site and avoiding threatened vegetation. ​​​​​​

The final layout will be subject to... the outcome of the detailed technical assessments currently being undertaken as part of the Environmental Impact Statement.

An aerial view looking down onto an empty paddock next to the train line with Goulburn city in the background.
This site on the outskirts of town will become Goulburn's community solar farm.(ABC Illawarra: Justin Huntsdale)

Dimity Taylor said good community consultation was key to winning over locals, and Community Energy 4 Goulburn's approach could be a blueprint for other organisations looking to set up solar farms in regional areas.

"I've seen the effects of when a renewable energy project doesn't do good early consultation and it causes so much disruption in the community," she said.

"I love that the community solar farm went and interviewed every single person who was likely to have to be able to see the solar farm and genuinely asked them if they were happy with it and if there was anything they could do to make it a bit better.

"Because they had that really good early consultation, they've had so little opposition."

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Goulburn community solar farm sees local investors take action against climate change and power bills - ABC News
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