Queensland residents draw to the attention of the House development proposal (DA57/2024) submitted to the Gladstone Regional Council by Private Energy partners for the purpose of a Renewable Energy Battery Energy Storage facility located at 292 Cawthays Road Colosseum.

This project will introduce into the rural setting a large number of uncontrolled risks, with the submitted DA not addressing or providing effective controls to the introduced hazards. Significant and important information has not been sufficiently provided. The project fails to: 

• consider safe traffic management;
• properly address emergency response and the impacts that a fire within the batteries would create;
• disclose toxicity of the batteries or clearly set out a safe exclusion zone area;
• consider the environment; 
• consider neighbouring landholders or gain any social licence from the Miriam Vale community; assess a suitable safe distance from the Miriam Vale township; and 
• show effective erosion and sediment control.

We request an independent risk assessment be conducted to ensure a project of this size and proximity to Miriam Vale township is safe and no risk of contamination to Miriam Vale township’s drinking water, given that the runoff from the project will enter the town’s drinking water catchment area. Further to this, a safe minimum distance for any Battery Energy Storage to be located to a township must be established and implemented.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to reject development proposal (DA57/2024) by Private Energy partners for the purpose of a Renewable Energy Battery Energy Storage facility located at 292 Cawthays Road Colosseum.