Newstead hosted a horde of prominent politicians, TV crews and corporates in high-visibility vests last week at its innovative solar farm. Minister for Energy and Resources, the Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio, accompanied by Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards, visited on Thursday 22 August to officially open the Newstead Community Energy Project, initiated by locals under the banner of Renewable Newstead. Minister D’Ambrosio said, “We’re supporting regional Victoria to make the most out of the renewable energy transition.”
Convenor of Renewable Newstead Geoff Park said that the group was guided by a number of key principles. “We wanted a way to locally generate renewable energy that was accessible to all. We wanted to remain grid-connected and we wanted a project where community members could opt in,” Mr Park said. “We also tried to do no harm; we were sensitive to the fact that these projects can sometimes cause unrest and angst.”
The Newstead Community Energy Project includes a 3 megawatt solar farm with 5 megawatt battery energy storage system to allow excess solar power generated to be stored and used during periods of high demand. It was built on land owned by local farmer Alan who said that it wasn’t expected to interfere with his work. “I’ve had sheep in here,” he said, pointing to the field containing shifting solar panels. “They help keep the grass low in line with the fire regulations.” Alan explained that there had been extensive fire and safety consultations and that the site is equipped with numerous alarms and a fire suppression system.
Djaara Elder Uncle Rick Nelson spoke at the launch about the significance of the area, which he called Emu Country. “We believe there’s a lot of healing to be done. We’re really excited to see renewable things like this that don’t interfere with the land,” he said. Ms Edwards spoke about her own family connection to the location and described the satisfaction of working with the community and the state government over numerous years to see the project developed. “It’s been a privilege to work with Renewable Newstead to deliver this project,” she said.
To support the successful delivery of the project, Renewable Newstead partnered with the electricity energy retailer and renewable energy developer Flow Power to develop, build and connect the Newstead Energy Project. Flow Power employed local contractors throughout the process and will support additional community benefits through a community fund. The solar and battery project is designed to improve energy security and potentially offer reduced power expenses for consumers. Mr Park said, “We’ve had a lot of people saying ‘you’ll never pull it off’ but nobody has said we shouldn’t give it a crack.”
This article appeared in Tarrangower Times, 30 August 2024.
Related story: Newstead energy: Community Q&A.
