Posted: 25.09.2023
The community will be able to have their say in a Public Meeting on a proposal by Oxley Solar Development Pty Ltd to develop a 215 megawatt (MW) solar farm and a 50 MW / 50 MW-hour battery.
The proposed Oxley Solar Farm is a State Significant Development application located approximately 14 km south east of Armidale in the New England Renewable Energy Zone.
A Public Meeting on the proposed development will be held in person and virtually by the Independent Planning Commission on Tuesday 17 October 2023 (3:00pm AEDT start) and Wednesday 18 October 2023 (10:00am AEDT start) at Dangarsleigh Hall (2350/874 Dangarsleigh Rd, Dangarsleigh NSW 2350).
The decision on whether the Oxley Solar Farm will be given planning approval will be made by the Independent Planning Commission after the Department of Planning and Environment received more than 50 unique submissions objecting to the proposal.
Commissioners Chris Wilson (Chair), Wendy Lewin and Alison McCabe have been appointed to assess and determine the development application.
The Commission will conduct the Public Meeting as a livestreamed videoconference from Dangarsleigh Hall, with registered speakers participating either in person or via online videoconference or telephone.
The Commission has access to all previous submissions made to the Department of Planning and Environment on this proposal, so it is particularly helpful for the Commission Panel to also hear from stakeholders about the Department’s assessment of the key issues and the Department’s proposed conditions of consent. These documents are available on the Commission’s website.
Key issues identified in the Department’s whole-of-government assessment of the development application include: amenity (visual and noise), environment (biodiversity, water resources, erosion and sediment control), traffic and transport, Aboriginal cultural heritage, historic heritage, socioeconomic impacts, land use compatibility and decommissioning and rehabilitation.
Anyone wishing to have their say at the public meeting must pre-register on the Commission’s website using the Speaker Registration Form.
The deadline for speaker registrations is 12:00pm AEDT on TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER 2023.
Written submissions will be accepted until 5:00pm AEDT on WEDNESDAY 25 OCTOBER 2023.
Written submissions can be lodged by email, post or the ‘Make a Submission’ portal on the Commission’s website: https://www.ipcn.nsw.gov.au/make-a-submission
The Public Meeting will be broadcast live online at https://www.ipcn.nsw.gov.au/livestream
We recognise the importance of community participation in our decision-making process. Using our ‘Make a submission’ form is the easiest way for you to make a submission on cases currently before the Commission.