Loomberah landholders take fight against renewables to Canberra

A member of the Loomberah Family and Farmland Inc. (LFF) committee, Karen Fox, told the Leader it was important to add their voice to the National Anti-Renewable Rally, held in Canberra on Tuesday, February 6.

Ms Fox said these projects are fracturing communities and risk the loss of valuable agricultural land.

"There seems to be no care for what they are doing," she said.

"The overarching conversation at the rally was the destruction of the environment, which included farming land. But there were people from the Illawarra, Central Coast, Central Queensland Barossa Valley, and the Hunter Valley.

"Some of the most beautiful agricultural and recreational places are under threat."

The tight-knit community of Loomberah is one of many communities fighting back.

The proposed Lambruk Solar Project would see an 850,000 panel solar farm built on 1407 hectares of prime farmland, with 59 Loomberah families impacted.

In addition, the developer Venn Energy has proposed the construction of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which would power 180,000 homes across the state.

Ms Fox said regional communities are all asking the same question: 'How can they do that there?'

"Some families have been farming the land very successfully for over 120 years, and then you have lifestyle and equine properties that will be affected," she said.

"The owners of the land have been in limbo for over a year already. The project is within 15-kilometres of Peel Street, Tamworth, and it is 4km from Kingswood.

"There are a lot of debates about the benefits of renewables, but no matter your stance, why put these renewables on prime agricultural land."

Ms Fox said the elimination of agricultural land is also a risk to food security.

Meanwhile, a one-time supporter of large renewable energy projects in his own electorate, Barnaby Joyce, told the Leader we need to get control over the "wild west of renewable projects".

"There were stories from all around, from the Central Queenslands to the coast and inland. It's people's understanding that there are others in the same situation and unity is strength," he said.

"It is about dealing with the swindle, which is wind and solar factories. The people who are being affected by transmission lines and how we can fix these issues up."