{"id":210676,"date":"2018-06-07T22:44:24","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T12:44:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=210676"},"modified":"2020-08-03T15:48:37","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T05:48:37","slug":"will-kingaroy-solar-farm-be-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/06\/07\/will-kingaroy-solar-farm-be-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Kingaroy Solar Farm Be Next?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An artist’s impression of what the proposed Terrain Solar project at Warwick will look like when completed\u00a0(Photo: University of Queensland)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

June 8, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

The approval this week by Southern Downs Council of a $125 million project by Terrain Solar near Warwick has some South Burnett residents concerned the company’s proposed Kingaroy solar farm could be next.<\/p>\n

The Kingaroy proposal, on 130ha at 397 Kingaroy-Barkers Creek Road, has been strongly opposed by local residents who say they only had a three-week window of opportunity late last year to make submissions to South Burnett Regional Council.<\/p>\n

Council is now awaiting further information from Terrain Solar before a recommendation is framed about the future of the multi-million dollar project.<\/p>\n

Planning Manager Chris du Plessis told southburnett.com.au<\/strong>\u00a0on Thursday he was hopeful this outstanding information would be provided in time for the project to be put to the July meeting of Council for consideration.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, new State Government guidelines to assist local councils during their planning assessment of solar farms are still being drafted, and it is unknown if these will be available prior to Council’s assessment of Terrain Solar’s proposal.<\/p>\n

A public consultation process to receive feedback on draft guidelines<\/strong><\/a> was held between March 14 and May 11.\u00a0Submissions and feedback received during\u00a0 this process – including information collected at a meeting in Dalby attended by Kingaroy residents opposed to the Terrain Solar project – are currently being considered.<\/p>\n

The Kingaroy residents believe the current approval process for the solar farm is weighted in favour of the applicant.<\/p>\n

They are upset it was advertised in the Toowoomba Chronicle, and claim signs placed along the boundary of the property were difficult and unsafe to view.<\/p>\n

Landholders met with Terrain Solar representatives in Kingaroy in February to express their concerns, which include:<\/strong><\/p>\n