A group has formed against the development on the southern side of New England Solar Farm in Uralla, and it also has the Walcha Energy Project on its radar.
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It is concerned the solar farm proposed for Uralla will turn the region into a renewable "battlefield".
The Uralla, Walcha Community Action Group for Responsible Solar and Wind Development took their issues with the 2700ha project to an extraordinary Uralla Council meeting last week.
"It's obvious that the north-west more than anywhere else in the state has more at risk," the group's Sydney based advisor Mark Fogarty said.
"Therefore it's imperative that the community entrust with the councils the right planning authority to ensure the balance between development and community interest."
Developers UPC Renewables have reduced the southern side of the project by 50 per cent, project lead Killian Wentrup said.
"Landowners across the proposed site and many others in the wider community support our plans and the benefits it can bring to Uralla," he said.
If approved the farm could power up to 250,000 homes each year.
At an extraordinary meeting held on Tuesday March 12, Uralla councillors and a public gallery of 45 people, heard from speakers for and against the proposal.
Mayor Michael Pearce said he had anticipated the meeting would attract several community members to the public gallery due to opposing views about the proposal and he noted their exemplary behaviour.
"This has been and may continue to be a challenging period for some community members," he said.
"All speakers acknowledged the importance of renewable energy production, however some felt part of the proposed development should be reconsidered to reduce impacts."
Following a two-hour long debate, Uralla Council resolved to make two submissions to the Department of Planning and Environment who will assess the proposal.
One a strategic submission that the development fit within Council's 'balancing development and the environment' objective; and a technical submission which identifies the relevant conditions for the protection of infrastructure and amenity during the construction, operation and decommissioning of the proposed project.
The chief adviser for the Walcha Energy Project Simon Corbell said his company's first project to proceed was the solar farm proposed for the Uralla/Walcha area not far from the UPC Renewables development and The Uralla, Walcha Community Action Group for Responsible Solar and Wind Development had already been in touch with him.
"Salisbury Solar is still the first formal development proposal we are moving forward with, and it is in two stages," Mr Corbell said.
"The first stage is a 350-megawatt stage, and we are currently finalising lodgement of our preliminary environmental assessment.
"Members of The Uralla, Walcha Community Action Group for Responsible Solar and Wind Development have been in contact with us, and we have engaged in a conversation with them, and we will be meeting with them in the coming days to discuss these issues further and to make sure they have all the information they need about our proposal."