NSW Farmers will be asking the NSW government for a moratorium on large scale solar energy developments after a motion was passed at the annual conference on Tuesday.
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Put forward by Stan Moore, Goulburn branch, and seconded by transition to renewables committee chair Reg Kidd, Orange, the motion asked for the moratorium until planning deficiencies in relation to decommissioning and remediation are addressed.
Mr Moore said that current planning and approval provisions for large scale solar energy facilities did not take into account the long-term interests of agricultural land and rural communities following the decommissioning of the facility.
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In his role as committee chair, Mr Kidd said it was time to step back and better plan any new large scale solar facilities.
"All we are asking is for adequate and proper planning for the entire term of the facility," Mr Kidd said.
"Companies involved with these facilities have not looked at the long-term future.
"Because this is talking into the long-term future, we need to to do it properly."
Mr Kidd said often these facilities were being planned and pushed on communities before consultation.
"There has been a lack of engagement and consultation with the community.
"What is happening is planners put things together and say, here it is. And then they engage with the community.
"Sometimes they have a community meeting where they don't take questions.
"They put what they have planned to the community and then say 'this is what we are going to do."
Mr Kidd said there were other options to provide energy to NSW other than large scale solar farms.
"We need to have a debate on the best way forward," Mr Kidd said.
"There's a proliferation of nuclear power around the world.
"We've already got one at Lucas Heights.
"The risk management now is incredible to what it was."
