Regional farmer raises concern of PFAS contamination as govt leaves communities 'in the dust' for renewable projects

Sky News AU

a day ago

A regional NSW farmer has raised her concerns the government was leaving communities 'in the dust' in order to roll out renewable projects while sparking PFAS contamination concerns following a 'huge lack of consultation'.
After the NSW government passed the 'Electricity Infrastructure Investment Amendment (Priority Network Projects) Bill 2025' on Thursday, farmers have claimed the new legislation potentially increased the ease with which the government can acquire land for renewables projects.
On Sunday, farmer Emma Bowman from Dunedoo said regional communities have been 'steamrolled' amid the rapid renewable energy transition.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Bowman said there had been a 'huge lack of consultation' when it came to the Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), the cost of which has blown out to $5.52 billion from the original $650 million figure.
'We've definitely been steamrolled throughout the rollout of the rapid transition to renewable energy and rural and regional communities are being left in the dust,' Bowman told Sky News.
'There's been a huge lack of consultation when it comes to the central-west Orana REZ, and I would think all the other REZ's in New South Wales, the four others, have been very similar.'
Bowman said on Sunday she had seen the story of Queensland cattle farmer Larry Acton, who since 2021 had found per and polyfluoroalkyl substances – known as PFAS, a chemical linked to an increased risk of some cancers - had been leaking onto his land, near Biloela, north of the Sunshine Coast, from the Callide Power Station.
Last month, The Daily Telegraph reported the Albanese government's ban on PFAS chemicals would not apply to renewable energy infrastructure. PFAS have been known to exist in components of renewable energy technology.
'I know that the reason that this has happened happening rapidly is because not enough has been done in the last 20 years,' Bowman said.
'So I understand that we're under time pressure, but I do think that we need to pause and just make sure that we are going to do this right, because if we contaminate our water, if we contaminate our ag (agriculture) land, we are in big trouble and I think that's really scary.'
National accreditor for the $82 billion red meat industry, Integrity Systems, issued advice less than 12 months ago notifying farmers that chemical or physical contamination risks 'can be caused if livestock have access to degrading equipment and infrastructure including solar panels and wind turbines'.
Bowman said her biggest concern was if the Orana REZ, which is set to encompass areas such as Dubbo, Mudgee and Dunedoo, will become the 'next PFAS contamination issue'.
'I think it's of huge concern to livestock producers,' she said.
Bowman said she was 'opposed' to large-scale renewable energy projects despite having solar panels on her shed, because she considered the risks to be 'great'.
'I think there are huge risks to contamination of ag land, contamination of our water. I think taking our ag land out of full production, in some cases, to generate energy for intermittent supply, I don't think that's the right thing to do,' she said.
'I'm a farmer, I don't have all the answers, but I just think that the rapid transition to renewable energy is a mistake.'
Bowman said Australia needed a range of energy sources, but if coal was continuing to be mined, that it was 'foolish not to burn it here'.
She said she did not want a coal mine on her property either, but called the trajectory of renewables, and the potential detriment it could have on her livelihood, as 'really scary'.