Hinchinbrook Shire Council has approved a development application for a proposed Battery Energy Storage System in Mount Fox, despite public opposition.
In a statement, the Council said a full assessment of the impacts of the proposed development and how they relate to the planning scheme and state planning requirements had been prepared by Council Officers.
“This was independently reviewed by a nationally recognised company with expertise in assessing renewable energy facilities. The assessment determined that the development complies with the assessment benchmarks and considerations of matters raised in relation
to submissions from the public, as they relate to those benchmarks,” the Council stated.
Council CEO, Mary-Anne Uren said that while community sentiment towards the project wasn’t favourable, the decision was bounded by the matters set out in legislation.
“We acknowledge that the community has had a very strong voice in opposition to the development,” she said.
“Environmental, hazards, traffic and local amenity concerns were raised in submissions and have all been considered carefully. Assessing how the development is to operate and the impacts that it will create was undertaken, along with how impacts are being managed or mitigated by the proponent.
“This assessment is bounded to matters which Council must consider within the Planning Act 2016, which is about the project’s compliance with the planning outcomes set out in the Planning Scheme and State Policies.
“The decision has been made to approve the development with conditions which relate to environmental controls, bushfire hazard management, traffic management, rehabilitation, along with operational and construction management, monitoring and reporting, among others.”
Ms Uren said the applicant and submitters would have the right to appeal Council’s decision in due course.
The decision was made under delegated authority, which was granted to Ms Uren as a result of the failure to achieve a quorum due to conflicts of interest being raised by Councillors at Council’s General Meeting held on Tuesday 25 June 2024, the Council stated.
