Lack of support for Glenrowan solar farm has Wangaratta councillor ‘annoyed’

If approved, the site will be 245 hectares in size with up to 420,000 photovoltaic panels, generating up to 140 megawatts of power.

The final decision will be made by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, but Wangaratta Council will be officially against the project.

Councillors Mark Currie, Dave Fuller and Ashlee Fitzpatrick voted against the solar farm, while Dean Rees and Harry Bussell were in favour.

Cr Currie said he was concerned about the visual impact it could have for people driving along the Hume Freeway towards the city.

“It says a lot of what Wangaratta is about, I don’t think it’s a good look to have that,” he said.

“I’m not against solar farms and I’m not against development, it just has to be the right type of development.”

He said it would be an “ugly sight”, which would not have benefits for most people.

Cr Rees said he was annoyed with his fellow councillors for voting against the solar farm, and the 150 jobs promised to go along with it, because he said they had all promised to focus on economic development when elected.

“It sends a message to other businesses, ‘don’t come to Wangaratta’,” he said.

“I think VCAT will see it on its merits and they’ll see it as a good development for Wangaratta.”

Cr Rees said he hoped the council will not spend thousands of dollars on a lawyer for the VCAT hearing because planning department staff should attend themselves.

ESCO Pacific only found why their application was refused when the council agenda was released on Friday.

Head of development Allison Hawke travelled to Wangaratta for Tuesday’s meeting for an opportunity to talk to councillors because the planning department had previously told it would be “inappropriate”.

“We request that you as a council use this opportunity to direct questions to myself in establishing the specific grounds for any decision,” she said.

“I would like to repeat that the application is a $150 million investment in the area.”

When asked by Ms Hawke why Glenrowan’s “abundant” grazing land was considered too high quality for a solar farm, the council’s development services director Barry Green said officers had referred to council policies.

He said officers did not contact ESCO Pacific to discuss their recommendation to refuse the solar farm because it was not practice to get into “horse-trading” with applicants.