The Canberra Liberals will today move a motion in the Legislative Assembly calling on the Environment Minister to refrain from using his call-in powers to approve a solar farm at Uriarra Village in Canberra’s west.
Residents say they were not warned or consulted about plans to built a 10 megawatt solar farm across the road from houses.
They fear the large number of solar panels planned for the site will ruin their rural outlook.
Liberal spokesman Andrew Wall says the Environment Minister Simon Corbell has a poor track record of using call in powers and wants the full development application run its course.
“If the minister chooses to use his call-in powers there’s no need for any community consultation to be carried out,” Mr Wall said.
“If it does get part way through the process and the Minister does chose to call it in again that community consultation and feedback won’t be taken into account.”
However Mr Corbell says the consultation process has not begun yet, because a development application has not been lodged.
He has accused Andrew Wall of generating misinformation about the project.
“It is concerning that people are making these false claims about how the planning process operates,” Mr Corbell said.
“The planning process requires that there must be full public consultation whether or not the call in is used doesn’t make any difference to the full public consultation process required under the planning law.”
