Barnawartha Solar and Energy Storage

The site is located within north-east Victoria approximately 300 km from Melbourne in the Indigo Shire and Wodonga City Council local government areas. The closest township to the site is Barnawartha which is a small community of circa 1,000 people. The site comprises two parcels of land and the Project area is approximately 131.57ha (refer Figure 1). The site is generally flat and is currently used for cattle farming and wheat crops.

Primary access to the both eastern parcels is provided via Hermitage Road, whilst alterative access to the western eastern parcel is provided via Barnawartha - Howlong Road. The alterative access to the western parcel is provided at the southern end of Hermitage Road closer to Baxter-Whelans Road.

The site has been largely cleared of vegetation to support farming activities, with some remnant trees throughout the land. There is native vegetation remaining on site, generally in the form of scattered trees. There are six small farming dams throughout the site, but largely lacked any fringing, floating or emergent vegetation.

About Us

The project entity is known as Barnawartha Solar Pty Ltd. Gentari Solar Australia are co-developing the Barnawatha Solar and Energy Storage (the Project) with ARP Australia Solar (ARP).

Gentari Solar Australia is behind one of the largest solar and battery projects in Victoria so far, Gannawarra Solar Farm in north west Victoria which it co-developed with Edify Energy.

Gentari Solar Australia is a long term owner and developer of a portfolio of more than 700MW projects across Australia. They currently have a 400MW portfolio of completed projects including Wemen, Clermont, Whitsunday, Hamilton, and Gannawarra Solar Farms and have recently delivered the 149MW Glenrowan West Solar Farm in Glenrowan, Victoria. Our vision is to continue to develop out a portfolio of inclusive Renewable Energy Power Stations to support the decarbonisation of Australia and the rest of the globe.

ARP has been developing utility scale renewable energy projects since 2013 and is passionate about driving a cleaner and more sustainable future. They work with communities to ensure projects are tailored to suit the local environment and deliver clean renewable energy.

Gentari Solar Australia and ARP hold the same core objectives for this project

• Energy security

• Local construction job opportunities

• Post construction job opportunities

• Local business tender opportunity

• Educational visits

• Maintaining the existing land use which is currently used for grazing

• Ecological enhancements

Project Evolution

Efforts have been made to avoid and minimise impacts to native vegetation where possible, without undermining the key objectives of the Project. The extent of native vegetation has been assessed during the planning and design phase and Aurecon’s project ecologists have had several meetings and other correspondence with the proponent’s design team to provide detailed recommendations for avoidance and minimisation of impacts on native vegetation and other ecological values. The proponent has adopted the avoid and minimise approach by refining the design of the Project footprint to incorporate all key recommendations. This process has led to the final design footprint for the proposal, which has allowed for the retention of native vegetation in the Project area as follows:

• Retention of high significance native vegetation in the north west of the study area – The north west of the study area supports a remnant stand of large, old Red Box trees, some that have been classified as patches and some as scattered trees as per the Guidelines. Given the lack of Red Box elsewhere in the study area, this stand of Red Box was considered to be of local significance. While previous designs for the solar panel layout would have required the removal of native vegetation in this area, the design has been significantly refined to re-locate the solar panels from this area to another paddock to the south west. This design change has resulted in the avoidance of three patches of native vegetation, 5 large trees in patches, and 17 scattered trees (six large and 11 small) in this area. This area of native vegetation is also mapped as Location Category 3 as per the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s (DELWP) statewide location map based on having high modelled habitat importance for Wedge Diuris (Diuris dendrobioides). This particular area has since been avoided in the current plan.

• Retention of all native vegetation around the perimeter of the solar farm – While early concept designs for the Project would have resulted in impacts to some vegetation along adjoining road reserves, the design has since been updated to ensure that impacts to native vegetation from the solar farm layout (as well as the area required for the implementation of an appropriate firebreak) is limited to private land. The design also includes the retention of native vegetation within private land around the perimeter of the Project site. This includes the retention of over 30 native trees on private land in the south east of the Project area.

• Retention of two of the largest and most significant trees recorded in the Project area – While the initial design proposed the removal of the trees, the proponent has adopted the recommendation to avoid and retain these two large scattered trees. These two trees were deemed to be particularly significant due to their tremendously large size (DBH of 161 and 162 cm respectively), healthy canopy and impressive spreading nature.

• Locating the powerline cable route so as to have no impacts to native vegetation - Most of the native vegetation along Baxter-Whelan Road exists on the northern side of the road, so the powerline will be located on the southern side of the road. While the western portion will be located in the road reserve using existing overhead lines, the eastern portion of the powerline will be located south of the road reserve (in the Council easement) to avoid native vegetation in the eastern part of the road reserve. The route for the powerline cable avoids any impact to native vegetation. 

It is considered that no feasible opportunities exist to further avoid or minimise impacts on native vegetation without undermining the key objectives of the Project.

The Project has also evolved to address the feedback received during community consultation. Neighbours to the south requested the works set back further away from their property. The substation and associated buildings were previously proposed to be located on the corner of Hermitage and Baxter-Whelans Road and have been moved 500mnorth away from the neighbouring property boundary. The panels and associated infrastructure have also been moved 30m north to limit visual amenity impacts to neighbours to the south. Landscaping is proposed within the setback to further soften any potential visual impacts.

Barnawartha Solar and Energy Storage Farm Layout Plan