More than $1 billion worth of renewable energy projects in Western Australia are closer to fruition following a regional planning body’s approvals today.
More than $1 billion worth of renewable energy projects in Western Australia are closer to fruition following a regional planning body’s approvals today.
The Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel unanimously approved French energy provider Neoen’s proposal to build a $675 million battery in Collie, at its meeting this morning.
The proposed Collie Battery would be built on Myaree Farm along Collie-Williams Road, about 12 kilometres north-east of Collie.
Neoen head of WA Nathan Ling said the first stage to be constructed would be a 200-megawatt, with the total footprint of the facility about 32 hectares.
“In WA, we are pursuing a number of exciting projects,” he said.
In the same meeting, the JDAP approved amendments to the $400 million Flat Rocks Wind Farm spanning across the shires of Kojonup and Broomehill-Tambellup.
However, Moonies Hill Energy’s proposal to amend the already approved wind farm was not as smooth sailing as NeoEn’s application with residents presenting their objections during the meeting.
Claremont-based Moonies Hill Energy proposed to build a farm comprising 35 wind turbines and with a capacity of 150 megawatts on a 6,500-hectare lot near Kojonup.
The regional JDAP approved the application in December last year, but Moonies Hill Energy has returned to amend some of the conditions imposed in the 2021 approval.
Under the original conditions, there is to be a minimum of 1km buffer between each wind turbine and any “sensitive premises”, which include rural farmland.
The applicant's request to change the wording of “sensitive premises” to “dwelling” has been opposed by residents, including Kojonup farmer Adrian Bilney who claimed the amendment would allow wind turbines be installed closer to residents’ farms.
"Sensitive premises shares the same meaning as sensitive land uses which is regarded as the lot boundary of rural premises, meaning our farms,” he said during the meeting.
“They want to use our land as buffer to their development and I don’t think that’s reasonable.
“We haven’t been consulted in this project for more than 10 years, it has created conflict in the neighbourhood.”
Kojonup resident Helen Bignell said Moonies Hill's wind farm was a far bigger industrial installation than what was first proposed in 2010.
"Given that many of the proponents of the Wind Farm no longer live substantially in the district, residing mainly in other towns or cities, it is quite distressing that neighbours who will live and farm in the area will be most impacted if these amendments go through," she said.
"If the amendments are passed, I think it shows that money speaks louder than words."
Moharich & More director Belinda Moharich, on behalf of Moonies Hill Energy, said the amendments was only to resolve ambiguity in the wording of the conditions.
“What is sought by the amendment of these conditions is not to seek a change or amendment to the layout that was approved in 2021 nor is it an application seeking an amendment to either size of turbines or models of the turbines, the models and locations of the turbines which have already been approved by this JDAP,” she said.
The panel approved Moonies Hill Energy’s proposal to amend conditions, with a margin of three votes to two.
