IN A PREVIOUS media release Council has spoken about the timing of the switchover from analog to digital TV reception as occurring this month, November. Unfortunately Council has recently been informed that there will be a delay to the switchover timetable. I cannot offer Gunning Residents an exact date. Residents will be informed by the Switchover Digital Taskforce of the date closer to actual time when the Federal Government provides the timeframes.
Meetings
The last few weeks have been a busy time for meetings between NSW Councils, including the Upper Lachlan Shire, and State related government representatives. The issues covered included a general discussion relating to the NSW Planning System Review, especially relating to the LEP process and Windfarms.
Other meetings were held with the SEATS committee relating to the urgent need to upgrade road travel between the Shoalhaven area and the Hume Highway. On this issue Council representatives met on November 10 with the Minister Roads and Ports, the Hon Duncan Gay as well with NSW Government representatives Shelly Hancock, Pru Goward and Katrina Hodgkinson to discuss the funding of a study into the identification of the best route for such a road to be constructed. We received a good hearing and are hopeful of a quick response to this question.
Over the past ten years Council has been faced with numerous difficult decisions relating power generating projects across the Shire. In an address to NSW Economic and Social Development Standing Committee for the Central West in Parkes on November 3, 2011 General Manager, John Bell presented a detailed outline of this Council’s position regarding such developments.
General Manager’s address
As the community is aware Upper Lachlan Shire Council is now at the centre of energy generating developments in NSW.
The Upper Lachlan has both 330kva and 500kva north-south and east-west power lines traversing the Shire and the main Moomba to Sydney gas pipeline also passes through the Shire.
In addition the Upper Lachlan Shire has numerous energy generating projects either approved or in the approval process. They include four Gas Fired Power Stations; the TRUenergy project at Big Hill (approximately $1B project) – approved, the AGL project at Dalton (approximately $1.5B project) - awaiting approval, the Origin Energy project at Big Hill (approximately $1B project) - awaiting approval and the Snowy Hydro project at Bannaby (approximately $1B project) - early planning stages.
As well the Shire has 11 Wind Farms either operational, awaiting approval or proposed.
Operational windfarms include Crookwell 1 with eight Turbines, the Gunning/Walwa windfarm with 31 Turbines and the Cullerin operation includes 15 turbines.
The three waiting approval but not operational include Crookwell II which has 46 Turbines, Taralga with 62 turbines and the Gullen Range with 73 proposed turbines.
Projects awaiting approval include Crookwell III proposed 35 turbines, Bango with 100 proposed Turbines, Golspie a further 100 Turbines, Rye Park awaiting approval for 110 Turbines and Collector which is proposing 80 turbines.
Community Enhancement Program
From the developments listed above, Council’s only involvement, to date, in community enhancement programs, has been with the Cullerin development (which is providing $25,000 per annum) and even in the operation of that program, Council was excluded to a large extent by the developers.
The extent of wind farm development in the Upper Lachlan Shire Council area is of concern to Council and the community and Council it was extremely disappointed that the previous Minister for Planning had not ensured that the local community would receive any benefit from some of these developments.
Council has continued to request that an appropriate level of commitment is provided to community enhancement funding. Council believes that this requirement should be specifically included in the conditions of consent for any such developments when they are approved.
Rating agreements in Victoria
When one compares the level of community enhancement provided as part of the approval process for the Upper Lachlan Shire with that provided in Victoria one can understand the Council’s frustration with the approval process.
In December 2004 in Victoria, the Local Government (Rating Arrangements under the Electricity Industry Act 2000) Review Panel handed down a report to the Victorian Minister for Local Government. The Panel had a brief to review and report on the rating arrangements for electricity generators in section 94 of the Victorian Electricity Industry Act 2000.
On May 5, 2005 the Minister for Local Government issued a press release stating that the Bracks Government had simplified the formula used by energy generators. The Premier proposed that in lieu of Council rates energy generator developers would be required to pay $40,000.00 plus $900.00 per megawatt of rated capacity indexed annually to CPI with discounts for generators operating at low capacity. The Victorian Electricity Industry Act 2000 was amended to provide the basis of the new arrangements.
Upper Lachlan Shire Council would like the NSW Government to allow NSW Council’s that have energy generating projects within their local government areas, to be treated in the same manner as our Victorian counterparts have been since 2005 with respect to rating of energy generation companies.
Currently there are no provisions for NSW Councils to determine amounts payable by a generation company or associated entity of a generation company to a relevant council in respect of land used for generation functions.
Council is of the opinion that this oversight surely requires an immediate resolution. As can be gleaned from the number of gas fired power stations and wind farms that are slated for establishment within the Upper Lachlan Shire Council Local Government Area, Upper Lachlan Shire will surely be the renewable energy capital of NSW.
With respect to energy generation projects with the local government area, Council requires a means to create rating arrangements to calculate payments in lieu of Council rates.
Council also believes that such payments should not affect Council’s rates cap but would allow an increased standard of living for all ratepayers and residents of the Upper Lachlan Shire. The same ratepayers and residents who are accepting the development of the four gas fired power stations and eleven wind farms.
Surely the electricity generators as good corporate citizens must make payments in lieu of rates in NSW in the same manner that they do in Victoria.
In a positive sign representatives of the NSW Standing Committee of State Development agreed to include the Council’s point of view, as expressed through the General Manager’s presentation, in their final report.
Contributed.
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