Impact of proposed solar farm

By Matt Romania

In the latest information session about the proposed solar farm in Elaine, Urbis, acting on behalf of Elgin Energy, met with the local community to shed light on some pressing questions.

The session was held in late July and attended by almost 30 locals, opened discussions surrounding the project, its timeline, and its potential impact.

“We had 26 people from the local community attend the information session,” a representative from Urbis told The Moorabool News.

“During the session, the community had the opportunity to speak directly with the project team and ask questions about the proposed solar farm.”

One key area of interest was the local support for solar and renewable energy in the area. With the global push towards sustainable alternatives, many locals are understandably eager to understand the benefits and implications of having such a facility in their backyard.

Timelines and the steps involved in the planning process were also subjects of discussion. The community wanted to gain a clearer picture of the project’s phases and the potential timeframes attached to them.
However, the primary concerns surrounded the potential localised impacts.

Questions such as, “How much noise do solar farms generate?” and “What will the proposed solar farm look like?” were raised. Additionally, the matter of managing fire risks, especially in areas prone to bushfires, was also a vital topic for the energy company representatives.

“As part of the planning process, Elgin Energy is continuing to engage with the community, authorities, and environmental groups to ensure plans carefully consider all physical and environmental elements of the site and its surroundings,” said the Urbis spokesperson.

Elgin Energy intends to keep community disruptions to a minimum.
“Once operational, solar farms have little impact on surrounding communities,” said Urbis. To uphold this promise, Elgin Energy is continuing to assess potential impacts.

“Examples of these reports include assessing the glint and glare to determine the sunlight’s reflection from the solar panels, landscaping to assess impacts to local character, and assessing the visual impact of the facility’s appearance in the area.”

Acoustic testing is also being conducted to guarantee noise generation remains negligible.

“All reports will be included in the planning application to the State Government and be publicly available during the exhibition period,” said the representative.

“If approved, the project will significantly support national energy independence and contribute to the Victorian Government’s renewable energy targets.”