A NEW solar farm at Taminda has been conditionally approved following a painstaking meeting in Tamworth.
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The Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) pored over the details and conditions surrounding the nine megawatt facility as the neighbouring jockey club raised concerns about safety for the horses and riders.
The club's general manager and chairman both spoke at the meeting outlining the potential for incident should glare from the panels hit the jockeys during a race.
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"We have over $1 million invested in each race meeting," chairman Greg Birtles said.
"If one of the jockeys get off and says they got caught with the glare and use that as an excuse, that becomes a major concern."
According to the glare analysis report, the edge of the solar farm will reside just over the fence from the western bend of the racecourse.
The JRPP grilled the proponents about how it would be mitigated.
The glare analysis report suggested "a continuous line of landscaping, 1.5 metres in height" and a fence with a solid portion ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 metres above ground.
Mr Birtles claimed the proposed fencing wouldn't be sufficient.
The panel went through the possibilities thoroughly taking into account a levy in the course, the time of day and year races would be held and whether the "vegetative fencing" would be made up of saplings or adult trees.
The developer's representative, Justin Fong, was eventually forced to make some phone calls to clarify what had been been taken into account in the glare reports.
After a lengthy adjournment, the panel eventually approved the development, subject to further approval by the council before a construction certificate is awarded.
The details of the solid fencing, including the location, colour and material, between the solar farm and the racecourse will now need to go to council for approval.