Page 5 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 25 February 2014
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that could accommodate an additional service station. The Economic Development Directorate is finalising a feasibility study to identify a preferred site.
It is expected that the draft master plan will be released for public consultation in the early part of 2014 and a preferred site for an additional service station will be included in that process, to allow community input and comment. Following that input and in the context of the Weston master plan, the Government will decide the appropriate site for an additional service station and put in place the measures to ensure it can be delivered. This may likely include a rezoning of land such that release of a site should not be anticipated before the end of 2014.
The Government understands the importance of this issue to Weston Creek residents and is working to deliver an additional service station in as timely a manner as possible and in a way that will best serve the needs of Weston residents.
Uriarra Village—proposed solar farm—petition No 6-13
The response read as follows:
Thank you for your letter of 27 November 2013 about Petition No. 6-13 lodged by Mr Andrew Wall MLA on behalf of Uriarra residents.
OneSun Capital 10MW Operating Pty Ltd (OneSun) was one of two successful applicants in the regular stream of the ACT Large-scale Solar Auction conducted this year. The Solar Auction is separate to the independent development application (DA) process conducted under the Planning and Development Act 2007 (the Act).
The Solar Auction made it clear that the identification of suitable land, and associated risks in obtaining development approval for a solar facility, were the responsibility of the proponent. In making a favourable assessment of OneSun’s Solar Auction proposal for feed-in tariff support, the Territory did not make any warranty or representation about the successful implementation of its proposal. OneSun will not receive any feed-in tariff payments unless it receives development approval for its proposal and successfully completes its construction.
The planning and land authority within the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate is responsible for independently assessing DAs lodged under the Act.
The Act and the Territory Plan set out a variety of matters to be considered when deciding on a DA. Relevant matters for consideration may include environmental, social, economic, heritage, glare impacts, the objectives of the zone, suitability of the land and bushfire hazard management. The impacts on the rural character and amenity of surrounding land uses may also be considered. Formal assessment of the suitability of proposals is conducted on a case by case basis.
The Government does not propose to create any specific rules pertaining to the allowable proximi1y of solar farms to residential areas in the ACT. The reason
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