FEARS of solar farm fire management risks were addressed at a local CFA group meeting in early September, with the authority backing its risk mitigation processes.
At a Moyhu CFA group meeting, member representatives from the nine brigades within the group talked on concerns around the health and welfare of brigade members and the wider community which had been raised by some of its members from the Bobinawarrah brigade.
In a letter submitted to the Wangaratta Chronicle, Bobinawarrah CFA captain Geoff Simpson raised concerns around the “insanity” of proposed renewable energy projects in extreme bushfire zones.
“The current approach of concentrating as many solar facilities as possible within extreme bushfire areas and ignoring proven rooftop solar alternatives is as ignorant as it is irresponsible and dangerous,” the letter read.
“We need to protect the immediate safety of our committees and ensure only safe, sustainable options are chosen which don’t further impact our fragile environment and risk our health and safety.”
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At the meeting were Bobinawarrah brigade and Meadow Creek Agricultural Community Action Group (MCACAG) members John Conroy and Shane Wilson along with District 23 CFA Commander Scott Shenfield.
Moyhu CFA group officer Warren Proft said concerned members were wanting to know more information about what CFA were doing to mitigate risks in a solar farm fire response.
Mr Proft said Mr Shenfield discussed rules, regulations and procedures which are undertaken by CFA when a planning application is lodged.
“I think he answered the questions well and put minds at ease to a point,” he said.
“CFA as an organisation has a big say in these planning applications; they dictate what these proposals will have to do as far as fire mitigation.
“I know there have been fires at solar farms through various means but I think CFA have got procedures down pat with how they are responding.
“The CFA develops pre-plans with local brigades when there’s any solar facility and it’s no different to any other industrial facility.”
The Moyhu CFA group encompass nine brigades from the Milawa, Whorouly and King Valley areas.
The proposed Meadow Creek Solar Farm would border these communities if a planning application is lodged with the North East already home to solar farms in Glenrowan and Winton.
Mr Proft said the risks of solar farm fire mitigation were just like any other in the volunteer firefighting caper.
“Volunteers aren’t on their own, if a volunteer brigade is called into a small grass fire within a solar farm, you’ve got back up of the other brigades around you and you’ve got back up in the full-time guys at Wangaratta as well,” he said.
“It’s like any job, some CFA volunteers don’t like car accidents because they’re not nice things to go to and as a result some members won’t go to car accidents and that’s fine.
“As a volunteer you can feel uncomfortable about attending to a solar farm, but you don’t have to, it’s not for everybody.
“I’m hearing that volunteers shouldn’t be burdened for these high risks, but I think it’s just an emotive argument.”
A CFA spokesperson said the authority continues to work with its members on issues around fighting fires near renewable energy resources, which involves regular assessment and updates of its standard operating procedures and ensuring brigades are given sufficient training.
“CFA’s Renewable Energy Design Guidelines and Model Requirements Renewable Energy, provides standard considerations and measures for fire safety, risk and emergency management in designing, constructing and operating renewable energy generation facilities,” the spokesperson said.
“CFA along with other government agencies, works with renewable energy farm operators on the planning to ensure fire safety measures are considered in the design phase.
“CFA respects our members' rights to engage in matters relevant to their local communities.”
Mr Proft said while varying opinions were raised over solar farms, he said the group will have to wait and see to find out whether the concerned members would take any further action.
“I didn’t see a lot of response or argument back to the information we received, I guess they had to accept that’s the way it is and that’s how CFA manage it moving forward, they don’t have to necessarily like it,” he said.
“They seemed to take it on the chin and we’ll see what happens from now on.”
