THE Lower Mount Walker Community Action Group staged a rally attended by around 90 residents who heard from guest speakers on the possible effects of proposed industrial solar projects on their doorsteps.

Libertarian Party candidate Jim Willmott and the Kilkivan Action Group’s Katy McCallum were among those who addressed the crowd at the Let’s Rethink Renewables gathering at the Rosewood Warrill View Road site at Lower Mount Walker.

Also in attendance was Gin Gin mother, Michelle Hunt, who recently made headlines after a global conglomerate of solar power providers began work in her backyard with plans for a huge industrial solar project.

The residents heard about local plans for Libra Energy’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) – a 850MW/3400MWh facility which could incorporate around 1,000 batteries - on a property at Blanch’s Road.

An effigy of a BESS was set on fire at the Saturday event to highlight the dangers of lithium battery packs igniting – the BESS at Moss Landing in the US has been smouldering since January 16 and has reignited once again in the past few days.

Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) last financial year bought lots 160 and 161 at Lairhopes Road at Ebenezer from Transport and Main Roads on a 160ha greenfield site with rural zoning. EDQ is the Queensland Government’s land use planning and property development agency.

A spokeswoman for Lower Mount Walker Community Action Group said EDQ claimed online that it was “committed to fostering meaningful, inclusive, and transparent community and stakeholder engagement practices”, but that it had ignored locals’ calls for meetings.

“EDQ did not speak with the community prior to advertising the leased blocks; we have written multiple letters and had minimal response,” she said.

“State Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie wrote in a letter to us in December that EDQ would pause and limit negotiations on future leasing arrangements of the land to due diligence activities only, ‘until policy changes have been implemented’.

“Yet Libra Energy’s battery project is now on the Queensland electricity generation map.

“A BESS should not be placed on prime agricultural land, instead it should go on a site that is already degraded like the Swanbank or Waratah BESS.

“If this project is vital for our energy infrastructure, why hasn’t the project gone to tender?

“The Lower Mount Walker Community Action Group is not against renewables; what we are against is siting them on food-producing rural land.”