General Renewable Discussion, page-2162

Can anybody think of a non-lithium / non-flamable BESS they could use?

Battery storage plans fancommunity bushfire fears

Story by Adrian Black

• 1h • 2 min read

Victorian town residents fear plans for batteryenergy storage risk bushfires and the environment.© Diego Fedele/AAPPHOTOS

A Victorian community is fightingplans to build battery storage in an area of extreme bushfire risk, as thestate government closes one avenue of appeal.

Mint Renewables and Trina Solarplan to build two battery energy storage systems (BESS) near the Dederangterminal station.

"It's justridiculous," Dederang's Sharon McEvoy, who owns farmland next to theproposed sites in northeast Victoria's Kiewa Valley, told AAP.

"It's north-facing, andbacks right up next to the bush ... surrounded by bushfire managementoverlays."

Ms McEvoy led a communitymeeting, as more than 200 frustrated residents of Dederang and nearbycommunities filled the recreation reserve hall and spilled out onto the deckand foyer.

"We know the firerisk," she told the crowd on Thursday.

"We live and breathe itevery summer. We are the local CFA. The local CFA cannot fight a BESSfire."

Battery fires can burn forseveral days and release toxic and flammable gasses, as seen in 2021's four-dayfire at the Tesla Big Battery site near Geelong, west of Melbourne.

"We care about theenvironment, the waterways, and the land where we live and work," said MsMcEvoy, while fighting back tears.

"The government issacrificing the wellbeing of rural communities."

The meeting came hours after theVictorian government announced plans to fast track new renewables projects,including stripping the ability of third parties to appeal planning decisionsin the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

AAP has approached the stategovernment for comment.

"The voices of communitieswho want to raise concerns with a proposal will continue to be protected,"the Victorian government said in a media release launching the plan onThursday.

"Third party objectionswill still have a place in the approvals process, but this change preventstime-consuming and repeated delays that hold these projects back foryears."

Nationals senator BridgetMcKenzie said the issue went far beyond a state planning issue.

"What is happening to yourcommunity is happening right across the country," Senator McKenzie toldthe crowd.

"We're all on the journeyto net zero, but we need to share the burden."

Both Chinese-owned Trina Solarand Mint, owned by Infratil and the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation,opted not to attend the meeting.

"We are updating our designand developing mitigation measures to ensure the project is well-informed bylocal knowledge," Mint said in a statement.

"We will continue to beopen and responsive to questions and constructive feedback."

Ovens Valley state MP TimMcCurdy said residents should direct their concerns to Victoria's minister forplanning, Sonya Kilkenny.

"We're not anti-renewables,we just want communication," Mr McCurdy told the crowd.

"We want to know what'sgoing on."