An objection to the Jindera Solar Farm by Greater Hume Council will be debated at an extraordinary council meeting on Wednesday.
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It comes as the second of four proposed projects, the Walla Solar Farm, goes out for public comment.
Council has approved developers' applications regarding council assets purely on legal advice, but this is the first time a formal position on a project has been stated.
Council's environment and planning director Colin Kane wrote in a draft submission that council would formally object to the Jindera Solar Farm on the basis "the development will result in adverse environmental, social and economic impacts".
"It is acknowledged by Council that it is essential to address climate change ... however, the macro scale need of the wider community to deal with climate change should not negate the need for the proposed development to be compatible with the environmental, social and economic concerns of the local community," he wrote.
"The immediate landscape will dramatically change from prime agricultural land, to be a landscape with an industrial appearance.
"There are 33 receivers located within 1 kilometre of the proposed development and therefore Council is concerned about the potential for the heat island effect to adversely impact upon localised climatic conditions.
"The EIS [environmental impact statement] relies upon several studies that have been undertaken internationally to discuss the heat island effect caused by PV arrays however, there is no cited Australian studies on the heat island effect ... this is of concern to Council.
"The EIS should have discussed what mitigation measures, other than a setback, the proponent could take."
The submission questions the economic benefit to the region and raises the impact on the land given the arrays covering 327 hectares would over the thirty-year life of the development likely make it "increasingly difficult to maintain vegetation".
It also notes that the development will restrict the ability for Jindera to grow, and "as this site is important agricultural land and contains soils classed as capability class 3, the site should be considered constrained" under new state government guidelines.
"A large majority of the development footprint is situated on the Class 3 High Capability Land rather than the Class 6 Low Capability Land. It is noted that DPI Agriculture commented through the SEARS that "the class 3 land should be protected as much as possible.
"The EIS indicates that there will be benefits for the soils as the proposed development will provide the opportunity for the land to be rested and there will be an encouragement in allowing the growth of diversity in ground-cover and perennial species.
"There is a concern raised by Council that the land may not benefit from thirty years of being beneath highly efficient photovoltaic cells mounted upon tracking units and indeed, may deteriorate if the vegetation is not able to be supported in this environment.
IN OTHER NEWS:
"The removal of 17.41 hectares of native vegetation and a total loss of value of 24 items of Aboriginal cultural heritage demonstrates that the site of the proposed development should be considered constrained and therefore unsuitable."
Councillors will consider the draft submission on Wednesday night and decide whether or not it should be submitted to the planning department.
Two of the four proposed solar farms are on exhibition, with submissions to close for the Jindera solar on November 13 and for the Walla solar farm on December 2.
The Department of Planning will host a session on Thursday from 6pm at the Jindera Community Hub, 83 Urana Street, to advise the community on the approval process of solar farms - considered state-significant development.