4 days ago
Narrogin one of 39 shires pushing for Draft Guideline Community Benefits for Renewable Energy Projects lock-in
The head of a regional shire set to face a wave of renewable projects says he is 'extremely grateful' for the Government's draft community benefits guideline, but concerns remain.
Shire of Narrogin chief executive Dale Stewart represents one of 39 shires involved in the Country Local Government's Renewable Alliance, which collectively lodged a submission to the State Government's
Draft Guideline on Community Benefits for Renewable Energy Projects
.
Published on June 12, the 15-page guideline details benefits such as legacy funding, community infrastructure, sponsorship and co-ownership that shires hosting the State's renewables projects are liable to reap.
Mr Stewart said though he was 'extremely grateful', he would like the benefits to be made compulsory, rather than only guidelines.
'The State Government can easily put a condition on that approval and make it legislative compulsory,' he said.
'Not discretionary, not optional, not for (developers) to change their mind when they sell the company in three or five years time, but to make it compulsory for the entire duration of the project.
'We perceive there to be huge, long-lasting legacy solutions and benefits for emergency management, whether it be Indigenous support, environmental, education, health and wellbeing, culture and the arts.'
Mr Stewart said the broad range of legacy funding figures — suggested at $150-$800 per megawatt per annum for solar projects and $500-$1500 for wind-powered projects — was a cause for concern.
'To put a discretionary band as wide as they have for renewables is fraught with risk,' he said.
'The renewable companies will always argue for the lower spectrum, typically. We believe that there should not be a range but a fixed contribution formula based on the megawatts nameplate capacity.'
Mr Stewart said he was 'disappointed' the guideline deemed Battery Energy Storage Solutions 'too difficult' to include given Narrogin's two upcoming BESS projects.
He argued developers of a similar project in Merredin, which successfully created a $20,000 annual community fund, had proved benefits were possible.
The draft document itself acknowledges that 'benefits are not always experienced in proportion to the impact these projects have on hosting communities', highlighting that projects may cause community disruption, objections and social and economic division.
Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the guideline was made to ensure the benefits of the energy transition is spread throughout WA.
'Industry and communities have been clear, and this Government has listened and delivered,' she said.
'The draft guideline provides support for the community and renewable energy developers to achieve sensible arrangements that balance benefit for the local community with the affordability of energy.
Mr Stewart praised the guideline's suggestion that affected shires should determine and administer what benefits were invested in.
He noted that the social obligation policies should be similar to mining enterprises.
'Those mining companies are required to engage positively and contribute to the local community and economy with social licence obligations,' he said.
'Here we have no difference, renewables are the new mining companies.
'Those communities deserve social licence payments, that's all community benefits. It's an expected trade-off of landscape and amenity values being compromised by those communities accepting these large monoliths and entities reluctantly, to benefit the State.'
Feedback on the proposal is open until 5pm, August 18.
The alliance lodged its interim submission on July 25 to WALGA, outlining the above advice which WALGA will put forward alongside its own.
