Thursday, 18 May 2023

Meadow Creek solar farm

Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (15:52): (237) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Planning. The action I seek is for the minister to visit the Meadow Creek Agricultural Community Action Group. I recently accepted an open invitation from the Meadow Creek Agricultural Community Action Group in order to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities associated with the proposed Meadow Creek solar farm at Bobinawarrah. I would like to extend the same invitation to the minister. This proposed solar farm of a projected 330 megawatts covering 1400 acres is to be one of the biggest in the country. This specific piece of land is described in the Hume Regional Growth Plan overlay as strategic, premium agricultural land. The Victorian department of agriculture states that only 4 per cent of land in Australia is suitable for cropping on a regular basis. While it is currently in use for grazing, it is in the high-rainfall fertile rich-soil region that supports cultivation. With flows into both the King River and Hurdle Creek, it also comprises a large portion of the water supply catchment area for Wangaratta’s domestic use. It is a key transit passage for native wildlife between the previously mentioned waterways and the Meadow Creek state forest. It is also a known grass and bushfire-prone area that is unsuitable for industrial projects. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s own Solar Energy Facilities: Design and Development Guideline document seems to support the area’s lack of suitability for the purpose. With 96 per cent of Australia’s landmass deemed non-arable, surely we can find more suitable locations for green energy technologies that do not threaten areas of national food security.