MEMBER for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan is urging the NSW Government to act on community concerns after the NSW Parliament Upper House Committee visited the New England on Thursday as part of their inquiry into Renewable Energy Zones.

The committee heard from local mayors, local planning officers, landholders, academics, and community members about the current and future Impact of the New England Renewable Energy Zone on local communities.

Mr Moylan said the witnesses who spoke publicly at the Inquiry all raised the flawed planning process and the failure of the NSW Government to take their feedback into consideration.

“I’m pleased the committee from the Upper House visited Armidale and listened to the valid and considered concerns of our community members, mayors, and landholders who are likely to be impacted by this project,” Mr Moylan said.

“Not one community group at the Inquiry yesterday said they were against renewables, but everyone said they wanted fairness and a more locally informed approach.

“There are obvious shortcomings in the planning of the REZ and a lack of forethought into how the region can sustain such a major project.

“It is clear the NSW Government has so far failed to properly address fundamental issues such as water security, housing availability, roads and infrastructure, waste and recycling management, current infrastructure, and workforce availability.

“The lack of proper and fair consultation was also a recurring theme.

“Since becoming the local member 12 months ago, I have constantly said that the current planning laws in NSW are outdated and do not achieve fairness for regional communities dealing with large scale renewable projects.

“The NSW Government needs to act on these concerns.  Our community has clearly and methodically identified these shortcomings and now the NSW Government needs to stop overlooking them and start addressing them.”

The Upper House Inquiry was in Armidale on Thursday listening to community concerns.

Meanwhile, Armidale Regional Council is calling on the NSW Government to address known shortcomings and deliver meaningful regional development through the New England Renewable Energy Zone.

ARC sees the current approach as an overlooked opportunity that risks alienating the very communities expected to host the infrastructure.

Armidale Regional Council mayor Sam Coupland advocated for a more effective and locally informed approach to the implementation of the NEREZ.

He warns cumulative effects of overlapping renewable energy projects are being seriously underestimated.

“New England Renewable Energy Zone planning has so far failed to recognise fundamental issues currently impacting the region such as water availability, waste management, workforce accommodation, and current infrastructure capacity,” Cr Coupland said.

ARC has stepped-up and developed its own community benefit-sharing framework, negotiating impactful Voluntary Planning Agreements with industry leaders who have already moved in, and has purposefully developed a water security strategy for the Armidale region.

Council now needs the NSW Government funding to underpin the growth impacts.

“We support renewable energy, but there is an increasing burden that continues to fall on Council,” Cr Coupland said.

“The bottom line is, if we host it, we should benefit from it. Renewable energy is harvested here – this is our region’s resource. We deserve a ‘most favoured nation’ deal,” he said.