UPDATE #17

THE DETAILS ...

Origin Energy announced on 20th February that they are purchasing Walcha Energy, including the projects Ruby Hills Wind Farm and Salisbury Solar Farm.

As a gentailer (generator and retailer) they benefit from significant subsidies, by acquiring government issued Large Scale generation certificates (LGC's) to "balance the books" against their non-renewable energy retail. Developing a Renewable project achieves this. These subsidies can often outweigh the profitability of the wind farm operation itself. Clearly, for this purpose, the bigger the better. 

We really have to stick together in our engagement with Origin Energy. Plenty of discussion will help clarify and shape our views and strength in numbers will reinforce the message.

Unlike Walcha Energy, they have the resources and the means to push this ahead. We really need the community to be involved, give a clear message and to help shape this future.

Are Origin Energy a community conscious corporate? If so, we will see a contrast in their behaviour from the behaviour of Walcha Energy. We will be asking for meaningful community engagement, meaning community meeting where questions can be drawn from the crowd and answered directly. Origin are a retailer with many customers in this region. Will they nurture their brand, or trash it locally on the path to a bigger ambitions for shareholders. We will be working to encourage the former, and expose the latter if it occurs. We hope to be dealing with a developer that is capable of listening to the community in order to shape a project, rather than just telling us what is going to happen.

A continuation of the Walcha Energy culture of secrecy and division, (divide and conquer) will only intensify the damage that has existed over the last few years. We hope this culture changes.

Walcha Energy's assurances of "local developer looking after local interests" have either been abandoned, or there was never any such intent. In reality, as soon as turbine hosts have been signed up and committed with exclusivity agreements, they are flogged off to the nearest developer. This strategy is a disappointing development for all parties, including the Walcha Community. Why did this happen? Did Walcha Energy ever envisage taking responsibility for this project, or was their intent always to flick it for a quick profit. Alternatively, have they simply failed in their quest to even produce a scoping report, let alone an EIS.

Where does this leave the host landholders, who were led to believe that Walcha Energy were genuine about advancing the project to at least EIS stage. Who is controlling their destiny now, or in the future? As a landholder, you really have to question what value has been taken away from them by someone else controlling their land tenure. 

How much damage have Walcha Energy imposed onto the community? Walcha did not derserve to be exposed to the social cost of this process. 

Moving forward ...

Our sights are still clearly on this project.

Their response to EIS submissions has now been extended (again), by request by Vestas, until end of June 2024 (as noted in their newsletter, but not yet noted on the Planning Portal). Winterbourne Wind are struggling under the weight of homework required after their first assignment (the EIS) was submitted as a woefully deficient document. 

Approval delay, combined with an increasing saturation of the transmission line that Winterbourne were hoping to connect to, would be making the developer increasingly anxious about achieving connection into the existing transmission line. Remember that they are not part of the REZ, and not connecting to new transmission. If they were to miss this connection, they would have to then become part of the REZ, and satisfy the additional EnergyCo requirements of achieving "social license". That could be complicated.

What’s the difference between a good and a poor project?

As a contrast to the Winterbourne Wind Project progress, the Yanco Delta Wind Farm, the only wind farm approved in the last 2 years, was highlighted recently by the Planning Department of how they expect things should be. The Yanco Delta Wind Farm project was well designed, well located, on flat land near Jerilderie, impacted few neighbours, twice the size of Winterbourne but with half the ecological impact (as measured). This project had only 2 objections, and has 5 non-associated dwellings within 5.3km.

This is a well designed project.

Scoping report For Delta wind was submitted 27th April 2022, EIS 6th November 2022, Approval December 2023. Community benefit fund paid to community was 10 million, up front, for the construction of a medical centre and other community infrastructure. Zero risk of default down the track by developer.

In every way, the Winterbourne Wind project is dramatically inferior, and has led to delays, disruption and disappointment.

 This is an example of contrast that was pointed out to us by the Department of Planning. This type of project (Yanco Delta) is better for communities, the Planning Department, and for the Developer. It is also better for the process of energy transition to renewable. 

In the most recent EnergyCo update, we noted the removal of the Southern Hub, that was to be located approximately 20km south of Walcha. This was never justified in the first place and was only included in the design following the lobbying from local developer expression of interest, suggesting projects in that area require connection. Landholders have denied entry, and there was little hope of projects proceeding. We argued heavily for it’s removal on the basis of it being a white elephant.  

In the same vein, EnergyCo have justified the construction of the Central-South Hub, (to be located 15km west of Walcha) by claiming that it is required to give access for projects, and to also add redundancy in the transmission design (in the case of failure of a parallel line). Again, we have argued that if (..IF….) Ruby Hills proceeds, that this project can connect directly into the existing line at Bendemeer through a 25km connection line. This removes the wasteful expenditure on 100km of high voltage line, and the construction of a redundant hub.

As far as the EnergyCo justification of building redundancy (or resilience) is concerned, this argument can be challenged after a viewing of the EnergyCo plan, as there is already redundancy built into this Tamworth to Armidale section of transmission corridor. 

We will fight hard to contest the construction of the Central South Hub, and we believe this is a winnable case, using the arguments above, and helped if we have landholder support.

         State Member for Northern Tablelands.

We have recently met with Adam Marshall, to discuss our concerns with the EnergyCo developer activity. He reflected his own concerns and frustrations about not being able to get communication access with this developer in any meaningful way either. This is a red flag for the developers brief of pushing an agenda without communicating with the community.

It appears that apart form greasing the wheels of the local councils in order to progress their developments, there is little interest in genuine community engagement from EnergyCo. Local councils are the only local body that can meaningfully scrutinise the developer and manage their conduct, and EnergyCo know this.

A cumulative impact study was discussed. We are pleased to note that the council is discussing during the next council meeting the use of a portion of their allocated $250k from EnergyCo to conduct a broad Impact study of renewable projects in the Walcha Area, (including accommodation for transient workers). This is crucial in understanding the true cost to community, economy and landscape of the Walcha LGA. This study will benefit the LGA by protecting the community when considering implications of these projects.

We also discussed the Central South Hub, and its relevance in the EnergyCo design. 

There is a shared understanding of its redundancy, as a line through Walcha is now having a diminishing purpose.

Based on this, we will continue to call for its removal.

Please get in touch if there is anything you think that we should be doing, or if you would like to have an input.

Regards to all

Voice for Walcha

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