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David Brett lives on a beautiful lifestyle block in the Bencubbin Estate just five kilometres south-east of Dubbo. It’s a small community with about 30 households also on lifestyle blocks, where neighbours know each other and live a quiet life.
David says the Bencubbin residents aren’t against renewable energy projects – they just don’t want one of these projects sandwiched between their quiet rural estate and the neighbouring estate of Firgrove just across the Mitchell Hwy.
The possibility this might happen has united Bencubbin residents who are fighting what they see is an uphill battle (literally!) to prevent a solar farm project by Australian Renewable Energy Services (ARES), which has been declared State-Significant, from being approved on a piece of prime agricultural land right on their doorstep.
Dubbo Photo News sat down last month with local businessman David Brett, whose Bencubbin acreage borders the proposed solar farm.
His quiet anguish is unmistakable during our meeting, as is his hope that common sense will prevail and what is known as the Hampton Park Solar Energy Storage System will not be approved at its proposed location.
“[Bencubbin Estate’s on] a beautiful little hill looking back over farmland, back towards Dubbo, and if you hadn't ever been there, you wouldn't know how precious it is,” he said.
The proprietor of Dubbo Mowers and Chainsaws moved to the “lifestyle block” estate with his wife and young daughter five years ago, keen to give them a taste of life on the land that he had experienced growing up.
“We've got a beautiful little spot; the city feels with the country space,” he added.
David said that despite Dubbo being on the outer north-western edge of the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), the proposed Hampton Park solar farm project is not actually a REZ project.
The 213-hectare property that would – if the project were approved – house 192,000 solar panels supported by 66 huge shipping container sized lithium batteries, was also listed in the recent Dubbo Regional Housing Strategy as suitable for future “large lot residential” by Dubbo Regional Council, he added.
David holds no grudge against the landholder.
“He has every right to do within the law any project that he wants on his place,” he said.
“But sadly, sometimes planning laws aren't quite right. It is stated in government policy that these developments should not be right next to residential estates.”
David is very concerned that despite Bencubbin residents holding information sessions in neighbouring Firgrove, few of the estate’s 200 residents have turned out to hear more about what is proposed just across the highway. He hopes they will make it their business to learn more.
“As much as we've tried to let them know by having little community meetings, and very few turning up, they are completely unaware of how it's going to impact them, whether it be during the construction phase or further on,” David said.
“They'll suffer more noise impacts than anything else during construction. They'll have pile drivers going 12 hours a day for anywhere between three months and 18 months,” David said.
“The noise is going to be substantial. My wife and my daughter are extremely sensitive to noise, and it's literally going to drive us mad,” he added.
David has the added problem of the proposed solar farm backing directly onto the rear of his lifestyle block. He and his family will be looking out over 213 hectares of solar panels and battery infrastructure reflecting the blinding glare back at them.
He is also fearful of the impact of a fire starting onsite at the solar farm, which would potentially race up the hill to his property and others in the Bencubbin Estate. With only one road in and out of the estate to the Mitchell Hwy, the chances of becoming trapped in a fire scenario are quite disturbing, he said.
“We remember what happened in 2019 [with the Black Summer bushfires]. Anyone living atop a hill with those fires and winds, there were many deaths that came from it,” he said, his voice grim.
Because the project is considered State-Significant, neither residents nor Dubbo Regional Council have any say in whether it is approved. At the moment, the current status of the proposal to develop the land for a 180-megawatt solar farm with an 800-megawatt hour battery energy storage system and associated infrastructure is at “environmental impact statement” (EIS) stage.
David is concerned the resulting EIS, when produced, will be over 1000 pages long and full of techno-jargon that the average person will not easily wade through.
In talking to Dubbo Photo News, David would like to spread the word that there is local opposition to the proposal - and for good reason - and that a community group started by local residents exists to actively object to it going ahead.
The “Stop Hampton Park Solar and Energy Storage System Dubbo” is an active group on Facebook. The public group now has more than 1500 followers and posts regularly.
David is happy for anyone who’d like to get in touch with him directly to email him at david@dubbomowers.com.
“We will keep fighting to have this project moved elsewhere,” he said.
“It’s the right project in the wrong place.”
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Further information about the proposed Hampton Park solar project can be found on the NSW Planning Portal (search “Hampton Park”) and via project proponent ARES at areservices.com.au/hampton-park-sess/.