Waroona council requests chief executive Mark Goodlet to develop policy position on renewable energy projects

The Shire of Waroona is looking to get on the “front foot” to ensure renewable energy projects do not negatively impact the area following the approval of two solar farms in the area in recent years. At a meeting last month, the Waroona Shire Council asked chief executive Mark Goodlet to develop a policy position that would keep negative impacts of renewable energy projects in the region to a minimum. Shire documents stated there was a need to protect productive food-producing agricultural land, as well as promote environmental conservation and sustainable economic development. South Energy was given planning approval for a 180-megawatt solar farm in 2019 and was joined by Rangers Loaders last December which was approved to use its land for a solar farm with a capacity of about 140 megawatts. Shire president Mike Walmsley said the council wanted to ensure there were regulations in place to manage such developments in the future. “We haven’t got a solar farm yet, but we have approval for two large ones approved in the Shire,” he said. “We wanted to be on the front foot as far as regulations and planning are concerned. “There are some things we did want to protect in the Shire. I think they need to be in the right area, we don’t want them overriding productive agricultural land, that would be one thing.”