Ipswich City Council has given the green light for a commercial scale solar farm to be built in Karrabin, on a vacant site that adjoins the Bremer River and Campbell’s Gully.
Fifty hectares of land will be turned into an $80 million solar farm, following council’s approval of EIWA Karrabin Solar’s Material Change of Use application.
The solar facility is expected to generate 50 megawatts of clean energy at peak production – enough to power 30,000 homes.
Approximately 120,000 solar panels will be installed on metal structures and will feed power directly to the grid through the site’s existing Energex power lines.
The solar farm is expected to create 50 new jobs during the construction phase, with an additional five full-time and five part-time positions once operations begin.
Division 4 Councillor Kate Kunzelmann said the solar facility would have wide reaching benefits for the city.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to help grow Ipswich’s renewable energy sector and drive a more sustainable future for our community,” Cr Kunzelmann said.
“Not only will it create local jobs, but it will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and help create better environmental outcomes for our community.”
All solar panels will have an anti-reflective coating to minimise glare for nearby residents.
While EIWA Karrabin Solar will clear some existing vegetation to accommodate the solar farm, no vegetation will be removed from along the Bremer River or Campbell’s Gully.
EIWA Karrabin Solar will retain vegetation along the Bremer River and Campbell’s Gully
The site is identified as being located within a key koala habitat area, however environmental reports found no evidence of recent koala activity.
EIWA Karrabin Solar says it will plant about 4,500 new native trees across approximately 32 hectares of the site in the hope that future koala populations will be able to use the site and its koala dispersal corridors.
For more information, visit ePathway to view planning and development application 10695/2019/MCU
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