Member for Mirani, Glen Kelly MP, is calling on Mackay Regional Councillors to stand with the community and vote against the proposed Pleystowe Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) when it comes before Council.
Submissions have now closed, with close to 100 objections lodged by local residents, a powerful show of community concern from one of the most pristine rural localities in the region.
Mr Kelly said the message from Pleystowe and the wider Pioneer Valley is crystal clear.
“This community has done everything right. They’ve read the documents, had their say, made their submissions, and raised legitimate concerns about safety, noise, land use and environmental impacts,” Mr Kelly said.
“Now it’s over to Council. They have a responsibility to listen to their ratepayers, not big multinationals, and to protect one of the most productive agricultural areas in Queensland.”
Residents have repeatedly raised concerns about the fire risks of large-scale battery systems, chemical runoff from firefighting operations, and the irreversible industrialisation of rural landscapes.
Mr Kelly also pointed to the lived experience of Bouldercombe residents, who have endured years of noise issues and a major BESS fire that burned for three days.
“Pleystowe locals do not want a repeat of the Bouldercombe disaster, and frankly, who could blame them?” he said.
Community frustration has been further inflamed by recent remarks from TrinaSolar’s Australian Country Manager in an interview with the 7:30 report, John Zhong, whocompared a Victorian community’s opposition to one of their projects to “a child not wanting to go to Prep.”
Mr Kelly said this attitude shows exactly why locals are concerned about how TrinaSolar engages with communities.
“That kind of comment is incredibly disrespectful,” he said. “If that’s how they talk about locals in other regions, how seriously are they taking the very real concerns of Pleystowe residents?”
Pleystowe resident Dani Percival said the project would destroy the rural lifestyle her family invested heavily to secure.
“We didn’t buy a home in Paget, we bought in Pleystowe for the quiet and the rural setting. A BESS in our backyard would be devastating.”
Ms Percival said the strength of submissions reflects a united community.
“We might not have a huge population, but we are all ready to stand up to fight against this Battery Energy Storage System.”
Resident Richard Lancaster said locals made property decisions based on established planning rules.
“When you buy a property in a rural area, you don’t expect a BESS to be built close to you.”
“These batteries need to be placed in industrial areas, not in people’s backyards. I didn’t buy acreage in Pleystowe to raise a family next to something so dangerous.”
Carrie and Steve Galea whose home is 620 meters from the proposed BESS, also raised concerns that there are residents who are even closer than they are.
“We are on a one-way dirt road with one way in and one way out, and our peace and way of life will be severely disturbed, not only by the noise pollution, but also by the increased traffic and toxic pollutants.”
Mr Kelly said the sheer volume of objections should be impossible for Council to ignore.
“The number of objections from a tiny locality like Pleystowe is extraordinary. That is a community shouting as loudly as they can,” he said.
“I’m urging Mackay Regional Councillors to respect that. Listen to your ratepayers.
"Protect their homes, their safety, their livelihoods and their way of life for the future generations.
"If they don’t feel that their planning scheme adequately deals with BESS projects, they need to write to the Deputy Premier to have this project called in and assessed by him, because while I’ve spoken to him about this project, he needs something from the Mackay Council to act on it and I’ve communicated this to councillors already.”
The Crisafulli Government is currently preparing legislation changes to better manage BESS development applications with legislation restrictions similar to those around Wind and Solar that were passed earlier this year.
Rockhampton Regional Council has also been dealing with an influx of development applications for BESS projects, and have recently passed a Temporary Local Planning Instrument to be able to properly assess them under their planning scheme as an interim measure until the new state legislation is brought in.
This was brought on from calls from the Bouldercombe and Gracemere communities that were going to be living near these projects, and similar suggestions have been made to Mackay Regional Councillors by Glen Kelly’s office.
The Pleystowe BESS application is scheduled to be considered at the Mackay Regional
Council Ordinary Meeting on Wednesday, 26 November.
Photo supplied
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Core Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes.Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2024 Mackay and Whitsunday Life Pty Ltd.
