Despite the growing evidence of the dangers posed by large-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), a 54 acre BESS on a 454 acre lease is being planned for installation at Hazeldean in the heart of our beautiful Somerset region in Southeast Queensland. This project, driven by corporate interests and misguided government policies, threatens the safety of our families, the health of our environment, and the rural character of our community.

 

• In Australia, a Tesla battery caught fire during testing in 2021 at the Victorian Big Battery site near Geelong, triggering a toxic smoke warning for nearby residents.
• Most recently another Tesla Battery caught fire at Bouldercombe near Rockhampton on the 26th September 2023.
• Internationally, South Korea experienced 23 BESS fires between 2017 and 2019, leading to tightened safety regulations.
• In 2012, a BESS facility in Kahuku, Hawaii, caught fire, destroying the facility and causing widespread power outages.

Have these corporations and government officials learned nothing from these alarming incidents? The risks associated with BESS technology, especially on such a large scale, are simply too high for our rural residential area and could affect the water supply for Brisbane and a large percentage of the population of Southeast Queensland.

 

The proposed BESS facility would store massive amounts of energy using volatile lithium-ion batteries, which carry an inherent risk of fire and explosion. The chemicals used in these batteries, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, can be highly toxic if released into the environment, potentially contaminating our soil, groundwater, and nearby waterways like the pristine Stanley River.

 

In the event of a fire or toxic leak, our volunteer firefighters would be ill-equipped to handle the unique challenges posed by a BESS incident. The intense heat, toxic fumes, and risk of re-ignition could put their lives in danger and overwhelm our limited emergency resources. Evacuating nearby residents would also be a daunting task given our rural infrastructure.

 

What’s most concerning is that once a fire starts in a BESS facility, it is extremely difficult to stop. The phenomenon known as “thermal runaway” can cause a cascading failure, spreading the fire from one battery cell to another with devastating speed and intensity. Even with fire suppression systems in place, the risk of catastrophic damage remains unacceptably high.

 

We, the residents of Somerset, are fighting to prevent this reckless project from endangering our community and environment. We need your help to effectively communicate the risks associated with the proposed BESS facility and to engage with key stakeholders. These include Senator Malcolm Roberts, Steven Nowakowski, Senator Pauline Hanson, and Jason Miles, the new Nanango candidate, all of whom could be instrumental in voicing our concerns. It is also crucial to write to the Minister for Energy, Michael de Brenni, who needs to be informed about the dangers of Labor’s plans.

 

That’s why I’m writing to you today and asking you to take two steps to help protect our region:

 

First: Please sign the enclosed petition to the Queensland Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mich Di Brenni, demanding an immediate halt to the proposed BESS facility in Somerset. Your voice, added to the growing chorus of concerned citizens, will be impossible to ignore.

 

Second: Please consider making a contribution to our “Save Somerset Campaign.” Your gift will help us organize community gatherings, print informational materials, and facilitate meaningful discussions with influential figures like Senator Malcolm Roberts.

 

The well-being of our families and the future of our region hang in the balance. We cannot allow this misguided project to proceed without exhausting every avenue of opposition. Your support today will help us safeguard our community from the unacceptable risks posed by this BESS facility.

 

Please join our fight by signing the petition and by donating to our Go Fund Me campaign. Together, we can protect Somerset and send a powerful message that the safety of our rural communities must always come first.

 

Your generous contribution to our “Save Somerset from BESS” Go Fund Me campaign will help us to amplify our message and foster a well-informed community. With your support, we can make a significant impact and keep our community safe from the risks of large-scale battery storage. Thank you for standing with us in this critical endeavor.

1. Your power bills will skyrocket, not fall. The $1.3 trillion needed for new transmission lines alone will send prices soaring.
2. Everyday Australians will foot the $360 billion bill to deck out their own homes with solar, batteries and EVs. Hardly the “cheap energy” we’ve been sold.
3. The industrial sprawl of wind and solar will span vast swathes of agricultural land and sensitive environments. Rural communities face major upheaval. Our pristine temperate and rainfall forests are being decimated by four lane wide gravel highways to allow huge trucks to track into the forests on the Great Dividing Range.
4. When the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, we’ll be at the mercy of unreliable power. Frequent shortages are inevitable without baseload supply.
5. Lithium battery storage, lasting only a few hours, is no solution for week-long wind droughts or cyclone strike. Our energy security is at serious risk.

 

No region is safe from being transformed into a large-scale renewables factory. With executive powers to override local concerns and fast-track approvals, the government has given developers free rein.

 

Make no mistake, the power from these projects is destined for export to foreign companies, not Australian homes and businesses. We’ll be left with higher bills, a decimated landscape and an unstable grid – all for the facade of “green energy”.

 

It’s time Australians were given the full picture, not empty promises. Our very way of life is under threat from a reckless experiment of unprecedented scale. We cannot afford to sacrifice our energy security, environment and economy at the altar of renewable ideology.

 

The sensible path forward is an optimized grid balancing reliable baseload with a sustainable level of renewables. One that preserves local communities and ensures power that is both affordable and dependable for all Australians.

 

Don’t be misled by the half-truths. Get informed, ask questions, and demand real answers from our leaders before it’s too late. The future of Australia is at stake.

The SEA Kilcoy Solar Farm, a colossal 1.5GW solar photovoltaic (PV) project, still has a DA on Somerset Councils website with a massive 500MWh battery storage facility in Queensland, Australia. Once completed, it would be the largest solar farm in Australia and one of the biggest single-site solar farms in the world. The project will also feature the world’s largest lithium-ion battery, with a capacity four times that of Tesla’s 129MW battery storage facility in South Australia. However, this is just the beginning of the renewable energy onslaught facing the Kilcoy and Somerset regions:

1. Further solar developments are planned for the Somerset region, compounding the negative impacts on agricultural land, rural amenity, and the environment. These additional projects will consume even more productive farmland and sensitive habitats.
2. The proliferation of solar and battery projects in the Kilcoy and Somerset areas will place an immense strain on the local electricity grid, requiring extensive upgrades to transmission infrastructure. This will result in higher power bills for residents and businesses, who will ultimately foot the bill for the grid expansion.
3. The cumulative effect of these developments will dramatically alter the character and visual amenity of the region, impacting tourism, property values, and the overall quality of life for local residents. The rural charm and natural beauty that attracts visitors and residents alike will be irreparably damaged.
4. Despite promises of local job creation, we know that these facilities are monitored and controlled remotely. The long-term economic benefits to the community will be minimal compared to the lasting negative impacts.
5. The concentration of large-scale solar and battery storage facilities in the Kilcoy and Somerset regions will make the area disproportionately vulnerable to the inherent risks and instability of weather-dependent renewable energy. This over-reliance on intermittent generation in one locality threatens the reliability and resilience of the local power supply.

 

The combined effect of these solar and battery storage projects represents an unacceptable and unjustifiable imposition on the communities of Kilcoy and Somerset. It is crucial that residents are fully informed of the scale and severity of the impacts they face, and that decision-makers are held accountable for prioritizing the interests of developers over the well-being of local citizens and the environment.

 

As they say on the Enervest Website “Founded in Australia in 2008, we are driven by innovation and lead with experience. Our teams are professionals in energy and programme delivery including operations and (energy) trading, with a focus on optimizing asset value and financial return for our investment partners.“

Your contribution to our “Save Somerset from BESS” campaign will help fund community meetings, the creation of informative materials, and our efforts to engage with influential stakeholders. Act now to defend Somerset’s future by signing the petition and supporting our informational campaign today. Together, we can send a powerful message that the interests of our community must come before corporate profits. Don’t let Somerset become another casualty of oversight. Stand with us in this essential effort to safeguard our home.

Here are several ways you can help spread the word and generate awareness about the dangers posed by the proposed BESS facility in Kilcoy:

 

Contribute to the “Save Somerset from BESS” Go Fund Me campaign and help us spread critical information about the proposed BESS facility. Your support, no matter the size, can make a significant difference in enhancing our community’s understanding and engagement regarding the safety and future of Somerset.

 

Share posts, articles, and videos about the potential risks and negative impacts of the BESS project on your social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. By spreading the word, you can help the message reach a wider audience and generate more support for the cause.

 

Help distribute informative flyers and posters highlighting the key concerns surrounding the BESS facility in public spaces, such as community centers, local businesses, and schools.

 

Attend community meetings and forums where concerned residents can gather to discuss the issues, share information, and strategize on how to oppose the project effectively. Encourage local experts, environmental advocates, and community leaders to speak and provide valuable insights.

 

Write letters to the editor of local newspapers, expressing your concerns about the BESS project and its potential impact on Somerset. By sharing your perspective, you can help generate media coverage and bring the issue to the attention of a broader audience.

 

Contact your local government representatives, such as councilors, state MPs, and federal MPs, to express your opposition to the BESS facility and demand action to protect the community’s interests. (insert templates or talking points to make the process easier)

 

Participate in peaceful demonstrations or rallies in Somerset to visibly show the community’s opposition to the BESS project. Your presence can help attract media attention and send a strong message to decision-makers that the community is united against the proposal.

 

Sign and share the petition opposing the BESS project with your friends, family, and colleagues. The more signatures we gather, the stronger the message we send to the authorities about the community’s stance on this critical issue.

 

By taking action and employing a combination of these strategies, you can play a crucial role in spreading the word and generating awareness about the dangers posed by the BESS facility to Somerset. Remember, the key is to remain persistent, united, and vocal in our opposition to ensure that the community’s concerns are heard and addressed.

 

Together, we can protect Somerset’s future.

By signing up, you’ll become an integral part of our grassroots movement to oppose this reckless project and others. You’ll be the first to know about critical developments, key actions you can take, and opportunities to make your voice heard.

 

Together, we can send a powerful message to decision-makers that the safety and well-being of our community must come before corporate interests. Sign up now and be a part of the fight to save Somerset!

 

When you sign up, you can expect:

• Regular updates on the campaign’s progress and upcoming events
• Actionable steps you can take to support the cause
• Invitations to community meetings, rallies, and other important gatherings
• Exclusive content and resources to help you spread the word and raise awareness

Don’t wait – join our email list today and become a champion for Somerset’s future. Together, we can protect our families, our environment, and our way of life from the dangers of this proposed BESS facility.

 

Sign up now and let’s stand united in our fight to keep Somerset safe!