Battery project unable to proceed at council sites

A community battery project, originally proposed to be located in the town hall car park, will be unable to proceed at council sites.

Narrabri Shire Council investigated locating the battery, facilitated by Geni.Energy, at its saleyards site on Namoi Street after an earlier approval for the CBD site was rescinded.

However, locating the project at the Namoi Street site would require significant upgrades to electrical infrastructure costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, council said in its business paper.

General manager Eloise Chaplain also confirmed this, and said Geni.Energy, the project’s proponent, had been part of an onsite meeting with an independent consultant.

Ms Chaplain said council’s infrastructure delivery team had investigated other council-owned land and where electricity infrastructure was located to determine if there was another suitable site.

Two options were outlined to councillors: To support entering into a licence agreement for the project at the original car park site, or grant authority to the general manager
to defend any claim brought to council in relation to the refusal (if financially viable and in council’s best interest).

A motion to enter into a licence agreement, moved by Cr Greg Lamont and seconded by Cr Navin Erathnage, failed to proceed with two votes in favour and seven against.

Cr Lamont praised council staff for having the “intestinal fortitude” to put the matter on the table in its two-option format.

“I’ve never seen that before in my life. And I think they’re saying to the council, make a decision and move on in my opinion,” he said.

“The bottom line to me is the risk is low. All the way, all the experts, and everyone said, and the body of the report said the risk is low,” Cr Lamont said of the battery project.

At the council meeting, several councillors again voiced concern if the battery was to be located at the car park site in the Narrabri CBD.

“The conversations I’ve had with dozens and dozens of people in the community that are opposed to this project. There’s been grossly inadequate community consultation on this project,” Cr Jocellin Jansson told the meeting.

“People living immediately around or owning premises or working immediately around the proposed location were completely unaware of the battery project.”

Cr Jansson also voiced concern that there was “zero community benefit” of the energy project, with a voluntary planning agreement not offered or entered into.

“Yet we are giving up three ratepayer funded car parks for $1 dollar a year. We create a precedence,” Cr Jansson said.

After the initial discussion, the matter was heard in confidential closed council as councillors and staff discussed information relating to legal advice and potential litigation.

When the matter was reopened to the public, mayor Darrell Tiemens tabled a letter in support of the project by Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen.

Councillors continued to debate the project. Cr Lamont voiced concern that not proceeding with the battery sends a message that Narrabri Shire is not open for business.

Cr Tiemens told the councillors no matter which way they voted on the matter, they were not making a judgement on renewable energy as a whole.

Cr Tiemens said he wanted to clarify that every councillor is a supporter of renewable energy.

Recently elected Cr Ryan Whillas said the community members he has spoken to have supported the battery idea, however, not the location.

“There’s no doubt about that. I support the battery idea, I do,” Cr Whillas said.

“I don’t want it in the middle of the town. Neither does most of the community that have spoken to me and I’ve spoken to.”

Cr Amanda Brown agreed with Cr Whillas.

“Right from the start I said, I’m not against the battery. I would like the battery to go ahead, but it’s the location,” Cr Brown said.

“As he [Cr Whillas] said, we represent the entire Narrabri Shire and the people that I’ve spoken to and I’ve had people come and talk to me, are not happy about it going into the middle of the town. That’s the only issue that I have.”

Ms Chaplain indicated the project could potentially proceed on a privately-owned site, however, would need to go through a development application process.