BATHURST'S state member says the company behind a proposed solar farm on the city's eastern outskirts should "get the message" that the community doesn't want it.
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The Bathurst Community Climate Action Network, though, has reaffirmed its support for the project, saying it will not destroy the land and has the potential, in fact, to be beneficial for sheep grazing under the panels.
The Western Advocate asked MP Mr Toole and the local environmental group about the proposed solar farm as Elgin Energy prepares to take the next step in the project's process.
Elgin's response to the community submissions on the environmental impact statement released last year is imminent and then the NSW Department of Planning will move to the stage of assessing the project.
Mr Toole has previously made it clear he isn't in support of the proposed solar farm, but he has now upped the ante.
In new comments to the Western Advocate, he said the solar farm's location is too close to the city's boundaries and would not be a welcoming sight "as people come to and from our city".
He said it would be taking up "prime agricultural land" and asked why neighbours should have to "pay higher insurance premiums because of a solar farm that is now being proposed in their local area".
(On that subject, Elgin says the Australian Insurance Council was consulted prior to the environmental impact statement exhibition and again after and that body confirmed "there is no further change to their initial statement, which was, they are not aware of any position of escalated risk focus being placed on neighbouring properties solely as a result of solar facilities being established".)
"I can't believe that this company is even continuing to proceed," Mr Toole said of Elgin.
"If they haven't got the message loud and clear, the message loud and clear from our community is: it's not wanted.
"You are not wanted here in this local area.
"Pick up your development, go west, go somewhere where it is more appropriate to put this kind of development."
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Mr Toole said he will continue to oppose the solar farm and said Elgin had taken the lazy option of choosing a location near to proposed transmission lines.
"Companies like this don't care about our interests here in the local area," he said.
"They're usually overseas interests who care about making a buck at the expense of local communities."
Bathurst Community Climate Action Network secretary Margaret Sewell, in contrast, said the group supported the solar farm proposal previously and continues to support it now.
She said the land is "moderate to moderately low agricultural capability" and has very little tree cover.
Solar doesn't destroy the land, she said, and in fact graziers "have reported improved wool quality and higher wool yield for fewer sheep run under solar panels due to increased shade and condensation from panels".
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Ms Sewell said panels can be taken away at the end of their useful life and are increasingly being made so they can be recycled.
As well, she said it was a "bit of a stretch" to talk about the visual impact for those passing the proposed solar farm on the highway.
"Blink and you miss it, basically, when you're driving past at 100 kilometres an hour," she said.
A common criticism of the renewable energy projects in the region is that they should instead be in one of the NSW Government's Renewable Energy Zones - and particularly much further west where there is a smaller population and less productive land.
"If we're going to talk about putting things out where there's no population, let's do that with mining, shall we?" Ms Sewell said.
"We're quite prepared to destroy the countryside with mining."
She said BCCAN's opinion was that the Glanmire Solar Farm, if approved, would be part of the essential transition to renewables.
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