Rural
26 October, 2026
Marulan residents demand to be heard
Marulan residents have packed the town hall to demonstrate their concern over a number of major projects planned for the area including a gas-fired power plant and a new quarry.
Marulan residents have packed the town hall to demonstrate their concern over a number of major projects planned for the area including a gas-fired power plant and a new quarry.
Saturday’s meeting – organised by the newly-formed Marulan and District Action Group – was attended by Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman and a number of Goulburn-Mulwaree representatives including Councillors Bob Kirk and Christopher O’Mahoney and council’s general manager Scott Gallacher.
Upper Lachlan mayor Gregory Harris also attended.
Mr Gallacher said Goulburn-Mulwaree was the subject of the most State Significant Developments (SSDs) per capita out of any LGA in NSW
He said there were now 45 proposed or existing SSDs either in the LGA itself or “just on the border”, including extractive industries and renewable energy projects.
He said that number was “beyond what we (council) can currently cope with” in terms of roads and other infrastructure.
“We are struggling to keep pace with the deterioration of a number of our roads,” he said.
Mr Gallacher said council had been advocating for a “significant uplift” in the contribution made by major project proponents to community projects and local infrastructure.
“We’re being asked to do a lot of heavy lifting for the greater good,” he said.
Mr Gallacher said it was important for the community’s voice to be heard.
He said council had been putting its draft submissions out for public review – where time allowed – and encouraged residents to provide feedback.
“We want to construct submissions that reflect the views and concerns of the community,” he said.
Mr Gallacher said the cumulative impact of the SSDs was taking a toll – particularly on local roads which were being “significantly compromised” by heavy vehicle movements around the clock.
“We cannot look at these projects in isolation,” he said.
He said it was unfair to Marulan and to the wider community.
Mr Gallacher said Goulburn-Marulan was not a Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and therefore missed out on the same level of funding as available to communities in the five existing REZs (Central-West Orana, New England, Hunter Central Coast, Illawarra and South West).
He said there was no indication that the Southern Tablelands would be considered for REZ status – despite having more renewable projects than anywhere else in the state.
“We’ve just been dealing with what we have been left with,” Mr Gallacher.
Mr Gallacher said it was also important for the community to ensure its voice was heard.
He acknowledged the short timeframe for submissions after projects were placed on public exhibition but said a one-page response was enough.
“Our voice matters,” he said.
Mrs Tuckerman agreed.
She said public submissions were “very important” and required a response from the proponent before a final decision was made.
Mrs Tuckerman also described the submission timeframe as “ridiculous”.
“The State Government just wants to get them (the SSD applications) out of the way,” she said.
Mrs Tuckerman said it was vital for the community’s voice to be heard.
“We cannot take the community out of planning,” she said.
Councillor Christopher O’Mahoney told residents that community advocacy “really works”.
He pointed to a recent recommendation from the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into Energy from Waste Facilities that the State Government reject plans for an ‘Advanced Energy Recovery Centre’ at Tarago.
He said the biggest danger facing the community was apathy.
Residents heard that the EnergyAustralia proposal for two adjacent gas-fired power stations in Canyonleigh Road would cover a footprint of approximately 291 acres and the visual impact would be “quite horrific”.
Kristy Charlin from the Marulan and District Action Group said 400 workers employed in the construction of the plants would be accommodated in a self-sufficient compound.
“There’s not a lot coming back to us as a community,” she said.
Mrs Charlin said there were also concerns about the impact of the proposal on local property values, rural amenity and traffic volumes.
She said traffic movements on Canyonleigh Road would increase from 19 a day to approximately 1200 a day if the project goes ahead.
Greens representative Sally Easlea read a letter from Australian Greens leader David Shoebridge who said the Greens opposed any new gas or coal projects.
He said the proposed gas-fired power plant had “no place” in Marulan.
Mr Shoebridge said private profit was “sucking the life” out of regional communities like Marulan.
Residents also heard from local landowners who raised concerns over the lack of communication from the project proponent and who called on EnergyAustralia to engage more meaningfully with the community.
Adjoining neighbour Alessandro Donagh-De Marchi said the gas plant proposal had been causing significant stress and concern.
He said the impacts of the project would ripple across the entire community.
Mr Donagh-De Marchi said the proponents would “do the bare minimum to get the maximum benefit".
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