February 17, 2023
Mytilineos – the developers of the controversial Kingaroy Solar Farm on Kingaroy-Barkers Creek Road – held an official opening ceremony at the site on Friday.
But only a select group of people, mainly Mytilineos staff members and contractors, appear to have been invited to the “Kingaroy Solar Farm Inauguration”.
No local residents were present, the media were told to leave and local councillor Kirstie Schumacher, whose Division adjoins the site, was ejected mid-way through her site induction.
This was despite Cr Schumacher being the only representative from the South Burnett Regional Council present.
“I am deeply offended that as a representative of the region I wasn’t welcome at the ceremony on the technicality of not providing an RSVP,” Cr Schumacher told the media who were left standing at the gate.
“We need to build relationships of trust and understanding with renewable energy proponents.
“I attended the ceremony in good faith and clearly was not welcome.
“I am disappointed for our community and the surrounding neighbours that our core values of country hospitality are clearly not shared.
“I really wonder, and can’t help but speculate, what there is to hide and why I would be turned away on such an important day.
“In terms of being a good corporate citizen, I would have expected better.”
The Kingaroy Solar Farm project has had a chequered relationship with the South Burnett Regional Council, which initially rejected the development application in 2018 and was taken to court by then-proponent Terrain Solar before an agreement was reached in 2019.
The reporters were ejected by Mytilineos representative Lluvia Murillo (Manager Stakeholder Engagement & Community Liaison at Renewables Oceania Region) who made it very clear they were not welcome despite it being the official start of a multi-million dollar project which the company had promised would benefit the South Burnett region.
The “opening ceremony” followed a sometimes heated meeting between Mytilineos representatives and local residents on Thursday night at the Kingaroy RSL Club.
southburnett.com.au spotted several residents cruising by the worksite on Friday morning but they made no attempt to enter the site.
* * *
Before we were ejected, southburnett.com.au learned a basic timeline of the construction project:
- Earthworks on site have already started but power to the site office was only connected on Friday morning
- The electrical contractor will start work during the first week of March; the 24kV underground cables will start being delivered to the site at the end of this month
- A mechanical contractor will then be on site to install the top tubes
- The solar panel modules – more than 90,000 panels in all – will start being positioned in mid-May at an average rate of 3000 per day, rising to 4000-5000 at times
We also learned the “opening ceremony” would feature traditional dancing by Bujiebara (Wakka Wakka Native Title) descendants of Taabinga Harry, invited to perform by Mytilineos.
A family representative apologised to southburnett.com.au saying the group had no control over what had happened and would try to work with Mytilineos to improve community relations.
Related articles:
- Residents Launch Solar Farm Petition
- Solar Farm To Start In August
- Meeting To Discuss Solar Farm
- Solar Farm Gets Green Light
- No Decision Yet On Solar Farm
- Mystery Clouds Solar Farm Vote
- Solar Farm Back Before Council
- Solar Farm Proposal Rejected
- Solar Farm Guidelines Unveiled
- Grazing Plan For Solar Farm
- Will Kingaroy Solar Farm Be Next?
- New Guidelines For Solar Farms
- Solar Farm Plan Submitted To Council
Congratulations to both Kingaroy solar farm, for it coming into existence, and to Cr Kristie Schumacher, for her part in the project, you’ve done your job, communication could be better, solar, wind and big battery projects are a new and vital moment for Australia and the world, congratulations again.
While I understand the feeling of being rejected isn’t pleasant at the same time if this was a private event held on an invitation-only basis then they are within their rights to ask the uninvited to leave.
Seems a very bizarre tactic to take from the company but, hey, they obviously don’t care about the locals’ perception of them.
Was Cr Schumacher and the press invited or just get wind this was on and thought they would pop along?
Our understanding is that Cr Schumacher was invited.
In our case, it is not unusual for information about events to be passed to us secondhand as communication strategies in this area can be somewhat fraught (ie. some people just rely on their out-of-date email lists or social media).
There was no reason to suspect that the official ceremony to launch the start of a project as important as this would be closed to the media.
Is anyone able to tell me who the electrical contractor is?
I would have thought any save the planet projects would welcome any publicity. Maybe managers/owners of project are not able to critique the benefits apart from from taking Govt money.
I tried to post but was rejected, no doubt by algorithm due to less than supportive comments.
No Neil, we don’t have “algorithms” nor do we have a staff of hundreds monitoring and approving comments as they come in. It was simply in a queue waiting to be approved.
It’s clear that the council did not support the development, so why attend the function? Free drinks?
I just had to look at the photos here to see rich farm land once again being wasted on this popular theory that this rubbish will save the planet, no wonder that there is a lot of secrecy about the whole deal, the bottom line once again is money.
Solar farms are a blight on the landscape and should be outlawed, and nothing but a charade.
What are they trying to hide?
Most locals and the council were in opposition and tried to block the solar farm, at least from what I have been reading, so why would they invite anyone who has opposed them?
I have nothing to gain either way, It does seem to be poetic justice.
I received an invitation as the Mayor to the official opening. However I sent my apologies to the event organisers earlier in the week due to pre-arranged commitments I had to community meetings in Benarkin and Blackbutt all day Friday.
Otherwise I would have attended.
This development was approved by the previous council under Mayor Campbell after legal advice of a likely planning court outcome.
Our current council has done everything possible to smooth the waters by liaising with the community and the developers.
This includes our CEO diligently overseeing the works approvals and compliance with council regulations by the company.
It is my understanding that some councillors received an invitation and as such I expect that the right and respectful thing to do would have been to reply as to your attendance or pass on your apologies.
I am not making excuses for this company, however as a developer in our region, whether we like the project or not, they deserve the same respect as any other developer.
We have an ethical code that comes with being a councillor.
A disappointing outcome!
– Mayor Brett Otto
Kirstie Schumacher by not replying to the RSVP you’ve got no one to blame but yourself, it’s a simple common courtesy to reply to an RSVP if you are going to attend an event, and if you don’t reply don’t whinge when you’re told you can’t attend because you didn’t reply to the invitation!
We believe that Cr Danita Potter had RSVP’d but due to personal issues, could not make it. The other Kingaroy councillor, Cr Schumacher, stepped in to go in her place. So the RSVP was for Cr Potter, not Cr Schumacher.
It is unhelpful the current developers and owner continue to divide the community, avoid scrutiny in limiting access and are closed about the benefits this project is actually creating for the South Burnett.
Ejecting a councillor on the basis of “an RSVP” says more about the developer’s ethics, and rather than investing in building support from the people impacted, the company appears to be hiding behind processes created by laws of the State.
It is hard to imagine another situation in the South Burnett where security would be needed to eject good people from “an official opening” on the basis of an issue with an RSVP! That action dispels instantly they are genuinely interested in ever gaining the respect of the region and are more focussed on getting the solar farm built and leaving the area for their next project.
I support the Councillor. She understands the importance of social licence and how this project’s rollout has close (and some unhelpful) links to the surge of renewable energy projects in various stages of development and construction that will unfold in the region over the next few years.
Interesting statements here. We listened to the council meeting last week where a statement made referring to the efforts of the council leadership team, unifying the region. Publicly condemning your own team member here shows nil leadership nor ethics. I suppose we should be used to it
Very disappointing
It appears that the project won’t inject any money into the region, the jobs are all outsourced. Have spoken with a few employees for the project who are relocating to the area during this time and then back to the original residence.
The project is on prime agricultural land, and the destruction of koala habits was done for the project, not to mention the health hazards those that reside near or next to the eyesore are going to endure.
I believe there is more to the project than what is reported, and that the council did little to nothing to stop it. Previous correspondence with SBRC suggests they were more in support than they admit.
The township is slowly dying and being taken over by eyesore and stinky industrial projects. Who would want to live in this town if this keeps going.
I’m sorry but I don’t go in for all this “its on prime agricultural land” business. They are putting solar panels on it and not digging a coal mine. When the plant is past its use the ground will still be viable. Our issue with farming in this country is not the lack of viable land rather a thousand other issues.
What a pertinent comment, Roger. I fully agree. It’s ok to dig up coal, iron etc, poison the soil and water with underground gas fracking etc but not ok to create renewable energy. How short-sighted can some people be?! The only way to avoid such developments would be that we all use less energy, but nowadays, it’s rather the opposite – everyone wants more, more, more…..
There was obviously an invitation extended and an RSVP not returned.
It wasn’t an invitation to a tea party- it was on a work site hence the necessity of an induction. There are safety rules and regulations to adhere to. Rules are for all, not some.
Cr Schumacher actually stated it was during induction that she was ‘ejected’… strong word.
These type of projects are indeed vital for our survival.
Yes, it is built on farming land, but we are so much better off with a solar farm than a big hole in the ground. The land will not be harmed and could be reused for agriculture.
Has anyone looked at the pollution blanketing, say, Brisbane? Have you seen a coal mining site? It is ugly AND harms our health.
If our council doesn’t embrace and forward this technology, we will be left behind.