After years of devastating damage, disruption and distress, our beautiful Valley is at material risk of being subject to at least five years of 24 hours a day seven days a week unnecessary pain, economic dislocation, environmental damage and socio-economic harm to facilitate the commercial aims of one of Australia’s largest corporations – Origin Energy.
There is nothing in it for the Valley or our community that can come close to justifying the outrageous proposal of Origin to blast, dig, bore and denude vegetation, put at significant risk protected and endangered species and wildlife and make life unliveable for nearby businesses and residents in order to enlarge and expand the Kangaroo Valley Pump Station and related power generation facilities at Bendeela and Fitzroy Falls.
On paper, it may sound simple but Origin’s plans are far from that and are cleverly dressed up in hundreds and hundreds of pages of dense, vague, incomplete, ambit and ambiguous disclosures and assessments in their Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) lodged on 9 November 2022 – detail that is clearly influenced by their objective of generating greater commercial returns but stomps all over common sense, reality and actual on-the-ground impacts and consequences and completely misrepresents the fundamentally and irreversible material impacts on the Valley, the environment, residents, businesses and our community’s wellbeing.
The Valley is yet again being ignored and our simple and peaceful way of life trivialised for commercial gain where there is no appropriate need or justification – not even close. The clock is ticking on this and people are required to submit objections to this monstrous project by 6 December 2022. Laughable – that for a project of such magnitude and impact Origin is bulldozing through and the Valley and concerned citizens have so little time to stand up and call out this project and have it stopped to protect our Valley.
Why are we worked up? Just because it can be done doesn’t mean it is right to do. There is a magnificent irony in Origin’s proposal to add 235mw of generation by expanding an existing renewable facility – additional capacity not for the Valley or the region but for NSW at large. The irony lies in the fact that there is nothing green, environmentally, socially or economically responsible or acceptable about the impacts of the project during construction and its planned operation. There are many options for Origin beyond this site and our pristine Valley that are ideal candidates for expanding existing or developing new renewable facilities that can easily generate the equivalent (and often – many times more) capacity, without devastating our Valley.
Origin seems to think a little construction will be nothing more than mere nuisance. The arrogance and corporate insensitivity of this is breathtaking. Take time to digest this: construction is planned to run for five years and operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day. We all know that projects of this magnitude never finish on time and always over-run – so let’s be conservative and assume in reality five years will more likely be seven years – seven years of absolute disruption, chaos and irreparable damage to our town, our roads, our wildlife and native vegetation, our peace and quiet and our ability to enjoy the tranquillity and natural and recreational amenities of the Valley.
From the top of Fitzroy Falls all the way down the escarpment (inside and out), through Jacks Corner Road down to the Bendeela Power Station, our landscape will be scarred and disrupted. Deep tunnels will be made – using blasting and explosives; 420,000 cubic metres of spoil (debris) will need to be dumped on hundreds of acres of existing land close to the pumping station, requiring all native vegetation to be removed, impacting at least 10 threatened wildlife species – spoil that will include acidic rock and therefore risk damage to our environment.
A workforce of up to 370 people will be deployed – working 24 hours a day seven days a week. This workforce is 43% of Kangaroo Valley’s population! It will transit through the Valley and live in other larger town centres; they will come by shuttle buses and other large shared vehicles. Local businesses can wave at them as they pass through – but there will be no material direct economic benefit to our local businesses. The impacts will be to our roads and transport infrastructure – just after such a horrific period of having been effectively closed for so long after the devastating rains. Our roads are already in an appalling state and cannot support this impact. There will be hundreds upon hundreds of heavy haulage vehicles, shuttle buses, large four wheel drives, light trucks, cement trucks and heavy machinery vehicles coming and going throughout construction – day and night 24/7. Remember, this is not for a six or 12-month period. It assumes construction of five (let’s say seven) years’ duration.
Origin seems to think that the Valley ought to just accept the noise, dust, air pollution and irreparable damage to native vegetation and wildlife that will disrupt the Valley from all of the construction and vehicle movement and that such impacts are an acceptable and natural outcome. The Valley is a tranquil and pristine escape – an oasis. You cannot turn that on its head for five to seven years and think that is acceptable. The noise and vibrations from heavy construction, boring, digging, crushing of spoil, and 24/7 underground blasting exceeds all norms in many cases – but explodes the norms that our Valley is used to and is known for. Nearby residents will, by Origin’s own admission, suffer from highly elevated noise and vibrations throughout the day and sleep disturbance during the night. Businesses will not be able to attract or entice visitors in such circumstances and will surely fail.
This not a project suitable for a town known for its beautiful countryside and native vegetation, its tranquillity, its abundant wildlife and its many natural recreational activities – a town that is a peaceful and popular holiday destination for all of those reasons. This project is a direct threat to our way of life in the Valley, our businesses and livelihoods and our right to the quiet enjoyment of our homes and properties.
Moreover, and from Origin’s own mouth, this project is only feasible with the Government funding or support they are to receive – taxpayer funds being used to damage and disrupt the Valley and to subsidise Origin’s commercial returns – all while creating havoc for the community and the environment when there are clearly so many better options to support sustainable energy expansion for NSW.
How is any of this acceptable? It is clear madness. It is reckless. It is flawed and it is wrong.
Read the EIS – https://pp.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/shoalhaven-hydro-expansion-project-main-works – and please object by 6 December. Be a voice for our Valley. This is a serious attack on our Valley and needs to be stopped. Please also engage with our State and Federal Members of Parliament.
Tim Lester
on behalf of
KV POPSE (People Opposed to the Power Station Expansion)