A solar farm approved in weeks shows how renewables rollout could be sped up

Australia Broadcast Center

3 days ago

A solar farm in Nationals heartland has been given federal approval after just 30 business days, which Environment Minister Murray Watt says is evidence of how the renewables rollout could be dramatically sped up if ageing environment laws were rewritten.
The government is also using the speedy approval of the 90-megawatt Summerville solar farm in Nationals deputy Kevin Hogan's seat of Page to twist the knife into the opposition, as the Coalition fights over its commitment to net zero emissions.
But the green-lighting of the 244-hectare site in the Richmond Valley in northern NSW also highlights how other energy projects have sat in the queue for years waiting for environmental approval, under outdated laws that business, environment groups, the government and opposition all say are no longer working.
Analysis by the Clean Energy Investor Group last year found the average solar project in NSW took 705 days to win approval — with wind farms taking on average almost a decade — a pace that would make it very difficult for Australia to meet its climate targets.
"If you get the system right and everyone is working cooperatively, it is possible to get much faster approvals while also generating environmental gains," Senator Watt said.
"Unfortunately, while there are these sorts of good examples to point to, we aren't seeing these in as many cases as we should, and that is one of the reasons we do need to reform our environmental laws.
The minister said the Summerville solar farm and battery, which will generate enough energy to power 36,000 homes, was a case study in how carefully selecting sites could lead to energy projects being delivered faster.
Senator Watt said early cooperation had allowed for design changes that preserved energy generation while being more sensitive to the environment — which also avoided delays from an intensive environmental assessment.
Those early negotiations led to changes in how the panels would be laid out, limiting their environmental impact, as well as the panels being lifted to allow for land to still be used for grazing.
"It does show, despite what some politicians claim, it is possible for agriculture and renewable energy to coexist and deliver more jobs and more investment for our regional communities," Senator Watt said.
The minister said reforms he was developing would allow for earlier engagement more often, and avoid projects having to be assessed twice by both state and federal agencies.
Senator Watt has been tasked with making another attempt to modernise the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, which governs environmental approvals for major projects, but has been little changed for more than two decades.
Successive governments have failed to pass reforms to the EPBC Act since an independent review concluded the laws were no longer working for business or the environment.
Ahead of a productivity roundtable, former Treasury boss Ken Henry named it the single most important item for reform, adding the degradation of Australia's environment proved it was failing to protect wildlife.
The now-chair of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation is among a chorus of voices who have expressed their frustration that the laws have still not been updated — a promise made last term that was shelved in the face of fierce resistance from West Australian Premier Roger Cook.
Senator Watt acknowledged last month that much of the government's economic agenda, including housing and productivity, depended on fixing the laws.
Shadow Environment Minister Angie Bell said last week she had met with Senator Watt on moving EPBC reforms forward.
"I think if Labor were to go in partnership with the Greens on EPBC reform, that would be disastrous for, again, livelihoods, for industry. It would decimate thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of jobs around the country. And so, I think on EPBC reform, we need to strike a balance," Ms Bell said.
"And that balance needs to be minimising red tape, of course, and approvals, but also protecting our environment."
The latest project approval comes as the Coalition debates how it will respond to climate change, after its nuclear proposal was rejected by voters at the federal election.
Half a dozen Nationals MPs stood on the lawns of Parliament House yesterday morning in support of their colleague Barnaby Joyce, who introduced a bill to parliament to repeal several laws that relate to renewable energy.
Despite the Coalition saying it has not decided a position on its current commitment to pursue net zero emissions by 2050, with two internal reviews underway, a number of Nationals have ignored that process to openly advocate for the net zero commitment to be dumped.
While Mr Joyce's bill has no chance of passing, the government intends to allow the parliament to debate it without limits, as it seeks to exploit divisions within the opposition.
Senator Watt said the government was continuing with its renewables rollout.
"At the very same time the Albanese government is getting on with delivering cleaner, cheaper energy and jobs for the Northern Rivers, the Member for Page Kevin Hogan is engaged in Coalition squabbling over the science of climate change," Senator Watt said.
This morning, Mr Hogan told Sky News it was good that Mr Joyce introduced his private member's bill to repeal net zero, saying he was representing millions of Australians who agreed with him.
"We're not a croquet club down here. We are a very important legislative body here in Canberra. Views need to be articulated," Mr Hogan said.
He said the majority of the Nationals party room supported the Coalition reviews of net zero.