At The Next Economy we work in communities hosting renewable energy developments across Australia, including recently in Uralla and Hay.
We hear all the time that it’s difficult to manage development without a coordinated approach to key infrastructure, such as housing, roads, health and childcare.
That’s why when the NSW Government released its response to the REZ inquiry last Friday, we were keen to see how this challenge would be addressed. It’s something we’d talked about in our submission, and when we appeared before the inquiry.
It’s also why, while we welcome the government’s response to the inquiry’s recommendations, we believe more needs to be done to manage cumulative impacts in regions.
As The Next Economy’s Energy Lead Saideh Kent notes: ‘Our work on the ground, and evidence to the inquiry showed that regions are seeking greater coordination than what we have currently as they work with multiple projects and government departments to manage what these changes mean for their communities.
‘The Secretaries Group now needs to improve cross-agency coordination, regional infrastructure and service planning, and the management of cumulative impacts, so regional communities don’t fall through the cracks.
‘This is important for any region which has multiple renewable projects under development, both within and beyond REZ boundaries.’