That’s the deadline for written submissions to the IPC, after a public meeting on Thursday of last week and visit on Friday to the site along Orange Grove Road, north-east of town.

Six residents spoke at the meeting, and a couple of those hosted IPC panel members, Photon Energy executives and other affected landholders during the tour.

“The site inspection allowed the Commissioners to better understand the physical attributes of the proposed site of the solar farm, its scale and locality, as well as the general amenity of the area,” an IPC spokesperson said.

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Landholder Phil Glover said he was “pleased the commission took the time to come and have a look” at his and neighbour Rob Galton’s properties south of the proposed site as well.

He said he believed that was “probably unusual – they normally only look at the property [proposed for development]”.

The two households are concerned the drop-down fencing planned for the solar farm will not be enough to mitigate the risk of flooding to their properties.

Mr Glover said the panel members had “asked some sensible questions”, including about the height, speed and debris of previous floods.

The IPC spokesperson said the site visit had taken two hours.

“It was a really good opportunity for the Commissioners, while they were on the ground in Gunnedah, to not only ask any questions about project specifics but also get a better understanding of the concerns raised by residents about potential impacts.” 

The IPC is expected to make its determination on the project early in the new year.