Rural
19 August, 2026
Proposed solar farm ‘unbelievable’ says mayor
Goulburn-Mulwaree mayor Nina Dillon has described a proposed solar farm near Tarago as “unbelievable”.
Goulburn-Mulwaree mayor Nina Dillon has described a proposed solar farm near Tarago as “unbelievable”.
Cr Dillon visited the site last week with Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman, Queanbeyan-Palarang mayor Kenrick Winchester and Goulburn-Mulwaree councillor Bob Kirk.
Mayor Dillon said it was unbelievable that anyone would consider covering 735 hectares of “beautiful, unspoiled land” with 650,000 solar panels.
“It’s not just an eyesore for the many local families but a genuine safety concern with fires on a remote – one access road – location.
“The State Government needs to get serious and plan the location of these solar farms in consultation with our communities and not just dump 42 State Significant projects in one local government area.”
The proposal from Mint Renewables is for a solar farm and battery energy storage system approximately six kilometres southwest of Tarago.
The estimated footprint is 735 hectares but Mint says the final footprint will depend on planning and environment considerations, grid requirements, the selected technologies and feedback from stakeholders and the community.
Mayor Dillon believes the Goulburn region is being dumped with unwanted developments because of its location.
She said the attraction for developers was “solely because the main electricity transmission line (Melbourne-Sydney) runs through it and the proponents are looking for a ‘cheap’ location for their project in the way of accessibility (Sydney/Canberra) and established infrastructure.”
Surprisingly, council staff say they are “generally satisfied” with the draft SEARs (Secretaries Environmental Requirements).
Mint says the $30 million project is strategically located “to contribute meaningful new solar generation where the state needs it most, supporting NSW’s transition to clean energy”,
It says a key factor influencing site selection is its proximity to the existing 330kv overhead transmission line, which allows for efficient grid connection “and keeps and any new transmission requirements to a minimum”.
Opponent Phillip Davis is concerned the project will “significantly change” the character of the Mount Fairy area.
He said renewable energy should be guided by “genuine strategic planning” and not concentrated in locations that are cheap and convenient.
“No single community should be expected to disproportionately carry the impacts of the energy transmission simply because of proximity to transmission infrastructure,” he said.
“What is needed is a coordinated state-wide strategy that balances renewable energy targets with the protection of productive farmland, landscape and environmental values, community safety and the rights of existing residents.
“Meaningful community consultation must be embedded throughout the process, not treated as a formality after key decisions are effectively made”.
Mr Davis said communities shouldn’t become the “default option” simply because infrastructure is nearby.
“A planned and transparent approach is essential to ensure the renewable energy transition retains both social licence and long-term legitimacy.”
Mint’s own research shows 11 per cent of people are supportive of the project but 77 per cent are opposed or strongly opposed,
It also found that concerns were not isolated to directly affected landholders “but are also shared more broadly across the community”,
Opponent Sue Arcus said community concerns had been ignored for the past 20 years “meaning lands have been destroyed, relationships between families, neighbours and friends have been destroyed and land values depreciated because this is a cheap and convenient area to place industrial turbines and wind farms”.
Mint says the transition to renewable energy is accelerating.
“Against this backdrop there is an urgent need to develop and connect new sources of dispatchable, renewable energy in NSW.
“Solar hybrid projects – combining solar generation with battery energy storage – are particularly well suited to this task as they can store energy generated during the day and dispatch it into the evening and morning peak demand periods when coal plants have historically provided the bulk of supply.”
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