An End To The Bookaar Solar Farm Saga?

Five years after a development application for Bookaar Solar Farm in Victoria was originally lodged, it looks like the project can finally go ahead.

Bookaar Renewables (Infinergy Pacific) has been plugging away at progressing a proposed 200 MWac (282 MWdc) solar farm with battery storage (capacity unknown) at Bookaar  in southwest Victoria since 2018. The 588 ha site – agricultural land – is approximately 8 kilometres north of the township of Camperdown.

To say the project has faced some challenges would be an understatement.

In 2018, Corangamite Shire Council flat-out rejected the proposal. Council received 86 submissions concerning the application, with 81 opposing. Objections were all the usual suspects that pop up in opposition to large-scale solar farm developments – use of productive agricultural land, fire concerns, flooding issues, aesthetics, and the list goes on.

The application then went before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on appeal in August 2019. VCAT upheld Council’s decision.

Bookaar Renewables gave a modified development application a crack with the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) in late 2020 after new planning guidelines for large-scale solar farms in Victoria came into effect. The fresh application took into consideration some of the objections previously tabled, including flooding and fire concerns.

Council continued opposition during the DELWP process.

Bookaar Breakthrough

Bookaar Renewables’ desire to kick off construction last year wasn’t going to be fulfilled. But the company says in December 2021, its Development Application received a Notice of Decision to Grant a Permit from Victoria’s Minister for Planning¹.

However, another appeal was lodged with VCAT.

Bookaar Renewables said late last month the appeal would likely be heard by VCAT towards the end of 2022. But The Standard reports (paywall) VCAT has given the green light for the project after mediation hearings.

At the time of publishing, the nitty-gritty of the mediation hearings wasn’t publicly available on the VCAT website. Corangamite Shire Council didn’t seem to be particularly overjoyed by the result, but satisfied a number of community concerns have been addressed; including comprehensive conditions relating to drainage and bushfire/emergency management imposed.

It will be a bittersweet victory for Bookaar Renewables too – no doubt there have been significant costs involved with getting the project over the line. It really highlights the importance of cultivating and maintaining social licence for proposed large-scale solar projects from the get-go.

Still, the company can now get started. During construction, up to 150 jobs will be created.  During its operational phase, Bookaar Solar Farm will support 6 full time equivalent (local) positions during its expected 28-year operational phase. Assuming construction begins this year – and a start date isn’t clear yet – the solar farm should be operational before the end of 2023.

While estimated output of the solar farm isn’t mentioned on the project web site, Bookaar Renewables says it will generate enough energy per year to supply the equivalent of approximately 92,000 average Victorian households.

Original Source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/bookar-solar-saga-mb2563/