Renewable Newstead is holding our first online community meeting and you are invited!
The online community meeting will update the people of Newstead and its immediate surrounds about the site we’ve chosen for the town’s proposed small scale solar farm and the next steps we’ll now need to take.
The online community meeting/webinar is on Wednesday July 1 at 7pm and is open to all locals. To attend you’ll need to register. Details about how to register are further below.
During the webinar you’ll find out why the site was chosen, what the farm will look like, how the solar panels will track the sun and where you can read Renewable Newstead’s application for a planning permit for the solar farm.
That application is detailed. It includes the proposed set-back or buffer areas between the farm and roads and assessments of the farm’s impact on agriculture, heritage, flora and fauna, the landscape, aviation and other aspects.
That application is now before the Victorian Planning Minister who is the responsible authority for granting planning permits for renewable energy facilities bigger than 1 megawatt. (This is not a local Mount Alexander Shire Council decision.)
We’ve decided to hold a webinar in place of a community meeting. We would have had to limit the numbers attending a community meeting to 50 people under current COVID-19 restrictions across the state. This way we can cater for more.
The proposed site is a 20hectare block on the corner of Clarke’s Lane and Captain Gully Rd, just 3km west of town.
Owner Alan Petersen currently uses it to graze sheep and offered the land for lease in response to Renewable Newstead’s call out to landowners keen to make space for the farm.
We are so grateful for the offers we had. After many studies which consider access to roads, powerlines, topography and other factors, we have settled on this site.
This is a significant step for our Renewable Newstead volunteer team as we work towards achieving our community’s goal of sourcing renewable energy locally and in a way that everyone, regardless of their roof suitability, income or tenancy status, can access.
We are keen for as many people as possible to join our online community meeting/webinar where questions will be welcome at the end.
It’s a great way to tune in to Renewable Newstead’s project progress. We know that not everyone has access to a computer and/or the internet at all times. So a few of us will also be at the Newstead Transaction Centre on Thursday July 2, Monday July 6 and again on Thursday July 9 from 9am to 12pm to answer any queries you might have.
