Moreton Bay Regional Council unanimously approved the development application for a solar farm at Beachmere, which will have more than two hundred thousand solar panels that could power 12,000 households.
The approved Beachmere solar farm is a 67-hectare land located at 260 Wallace Rd North, Beachmere. Having a solar farm of this size means that it could generate up to 50 megawatts of energy each day—this is three times more than what the Sunshine Coast Regional Council-owned farm could generate.
Residents of the Moreton Bay Region are seen to be more keen when it comes to having sustainable and renewable energy given Queensland’s overall vulnerability to climate change. In fact, data from the latest Climate Council report show that Elimbah is the top suburb amongst 25 Queensland suburbs that has an outstanding record of 70.6% of dwellings with installed solar rooftop.
Bright and Sustainable Moreton Bay Region
Given the number of infrastructures that are placed and soon to be built at Moreton Bay Region, Council Spokesperson for Economic Development and Division 2 Councillor, Peter Flannery mentioned that is it is without a doubt that this region is one of the fastest-growing regions of Queensland today. And having this solar farm built will lead into a better, brighter and more sustainable future for Moreton Bay.
Beachmere too will benefit greatly from this project. The solar farm construction and operation would open a number of jobs for locals to take. And more importantly, the image of Beachmere—a simple coastal town, as a site taking and leading the charge for this project will definitely boost the area’s popularity.
According to Councillor Peter Flannery, the Beachmere solar farm is the first wide-scale renewable energy project of the region. This solar farm will feed and provide solar-powered energy directly into the grid—alleviating pressure from Energex, a power distributor whose main line runs through the site location.
“Energex supported the development as a means of alleviating pressure on the grid and it aligns with the Queensland Government guidelines for solar farms — designed to help Queensland achieve a 50% renewable energy generation target by 2030,” Cr Flannery said.
Cr Flannery also believed that this type of investment will usher a change for the often-overlooked Beachmere.
“This solar farm could herald the beginning of a bright and sustainable future for the Moreton Bay Region and I’m thrilled to see Beachmere leading the charge,” Cr Flannery said.
The construction of the Beachmere solar farm is expected to be completed in a span of 12 months. During the construction, the developer is required to have a 10-metre landscape buffer along all adjoining properties near the site.