PHOTO
Mixed responses greeted the NSW Government’s announcement on Friday, April 4, that Australia’s first declared Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) will formally commence construction within months.
NSW Government agency EnergyCO awarded the contract to ACEREZ — a consortium involving ACCIONA, COBRA, and Endeavour Energy — to deliver the Central-West Orana (CWO) REZ transmission project, which will establish critical infrastructure that will reportedly connect solar and wind farms and energy storage to the NSW electricity grid.
Early works on the project started in February, and construction is scheduled to start mid-year. ACEREZ will operate and maintain it for the next 35 years.
The project is central to the Minns Labor Government’s delivery of a reliable, affordable energy system that benefits communities and the economy, the announcement stated.
“Getting this deal done brings us closer to delivering more affordable and reliable renewable energy to NSW households and businesses,” Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe, said of the April 4 announcement.
“With three out of four of the state’s remaining coal-fired power stations set to close in less than 10 years, this REZ will help us meet our future energy needs in order to keep the lights on and avoid price spikes,” Minister Sharpe added.
While some local government areas (LGAs) in the REZ would appear to be “cautiously optimistic” about the benefits to be derived from renewables projects in the region, politicians and community groups are not happy, with calls for a moratorium on renewables projects and an independent review.
LGAs watching closely
Several local government areas are located within the boundaries of the CWO REZ.
Those within our media group’s readership areas of Dubbo, Gilgandra and Narromine are all located away from the transmission project announced on April 4, but appear to be “cautiously optimistic” about the benefits the zone will bring to the wider region.
Dubbo Regional Council Mayor, Cr Josh Black, expressed the council’s commitment to working with the NSW Government for the benefit of the wider community.
“Even though we didn’t choose the REZ, we are committed to working with key stakeholders to ensure that our community receives its fair share of the benefits, and that the projects are adding long-term value to the region and our residents,” Mayor Black said, indicating the council will continue to strongly advocate for the best interests of the whole Dubbo Region community.
Gilgandra Shire Council is located on the northern edge of the zone, and watching developments with interest.
“Council is watching this space closely,” said Gilgandra Shire Mayor, Cr Doug Batten.
“While the transmission lines … are not being constructed within the Gilgandra LGA and will therefore not impact local landholders, council is, however, optimistic about possible flow-on benefits from this and other major infrastructure projects,” he added.
Mayor Batten said approval has been given for three solar farms, one of which is under construction on the western edge of Gilgandra, together with a large wind farm, “Millpulling Wind Farm”, which is in the early design and approvals phase and to be located in the Kickball area to the south-west of Gilgandra. These projects will utilise current transmission infrastructure, he said.
“The reality is, the push for increased renewable energy is upon us and it is only gathering momentum. What this means for Gilgandra in the longer term is unknown, but Council must remain proactive in managing the impacts whilst capitalising on the opportunities,” Mayor Batten concluded.
These sentiments are echoed in Narromine Shire LGA, located on the far western boundary of the CWO REZ and also some distance from the transmission line project.
General Manager Jane Redden said a number of state-significant renewable projects are being planned within the shire.
“Staff continue to work with the proponents of these projects as the planning process proceeds. Staff have been working with State Government departments on cumulative impacts relating to housing, employment and servicing,” Mrs Redden said.
“Narromine Shire Council looks forward to working with all concerned to mitigate the local impacts of the cumulative projects and to take advantage of any economic opportunities,” she concluded.
Politicians “scathing”
State MP and NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders, whose Dubbo electorate includes much of the area identified as the CWO REZ, has called for a moratorium and stocktake on renewables projects so their cumulative impacts can be properly identified.
“The CWO REZ continues to cause a lot of angst for residents who have had these projects forced into their backyards, and they are fed up with how poorly this process has been handled, including a lack of proper consultation,” Mr Saunders said.
“With more projects being added, the REZ seems to be getting bigger and bigger and we haven’t been able to get a straight answer as to where it is up to.”
Independent Barwon MP Roy Butler, whose massive electorate includes Gilgandra and the northern part of the CWO REZ, pointed the finger firmly at the major political parties for decisions that have resulted in the formation of the REZ and its associated impacts.
“Labor and the Liberal/National Party passed the enabling legislation for the REZ in both Houses. No amendments from the Crossbench that aimed to protect communities were accepted in either House,” Mr Butler said.
“These projects mainly benefit the East Coast and metropolitan Sydney. As the project progresses, it is crucial that communities affected by REZs experience significant, tangible benefits,” he added, expressing concern about community consultation.
"There needs to be genuine engagement from ACEREZ and project proponents, and the concerns of communities need to be taken seriously,” Mr Butler concluded.
Community action groups not happy
Grant Piper, chair of community action group CWO REZist Inc, which formed to support communities fighting the renewable energy push in the region, questioned the timing of the announcement, which he described as a “nothingburger.”
“They [ACEREZ] actually started pushing dirt at Merotherie six weeks back or so,” Mr Piper said.
Like the Barwon MP, Mr Grant also blames the Labor and Liberal/National Coalition for voting in the policies that CWO REZist believes are “mortgaging our children's future and ruining productive farmland to build a white elephant project.”
“Transmission is over 40 per cent of your power bill and the CWO REZ transmission [project] has blown out from an initial $1.8 billion to over $4 billion. Local Aussies can only dream of such largesse from GovCo when paying their bills and filling their car with fuel,” Mr Piper said.
The Narromine Shire Positive Change Community Group (NSPCCG), which formed in December 2023 when a proposal for a “waste-to-energy” plant was first floated in the area, “strongly and unequivocally” opposes the CWO REZ in its current form and supports calls for a moratorium.
“The full implications of this industrial-scale energy zone have not been measured, nor properly communicated to the communities that are expected to host it,” the group announced in a media statement, which was also highly critical of recent reports that neighbouring Parkes Shire could be in line for a “waste-to-energy” facility.
“We reject the narrative that incinerators and high-voltage energy corridors are the unavoidable future of regional NSW,” they added, calling for an independent review of the CWO REZ and an end to “industrial overreach”.
“True progress in energy generation should focus on distributed, community-led renewables,” the NSPCCG concluded.
