Pacific Partnerships is seeking public comments on its plans to mitigate the environmental impact of the Hopeland Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project.
In accordance with section 95A(3) of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC Act), public comments are now invited on the Preliminary Documentation until February 10.
Pacific Partnerships identified 10 threatened or endangered species living in the area of the project, including the painted honeyeater, white-throated needletail, fork-tailed swift and koalas.
Pacific Partnerships has outlined an avoid, mitigate, manage and offset plan to managing the impact of the solar project.
The project will avoid and retain the Brigalow threatened ecological community and most of the remnant eucalypt open forest.
The company will incorporate a koala corridor of 100 metres in width to connect remnant vegetation to allow koalas to utilise it during the operational phase.
Once the Hopeland solar and BESS project is completed, Pacific Partnerships will ensure long-term sustainability in the area. The company will also offset the impact of the project by securing a property in Brovinia for koala habitation.
The project is being developed near Chinchilla, about 290 kilometres west of Brisbane, Queensland.
It includes a large-scale grid-connected solar farm and BESS contributing to Australia’s energy mix, generating enough electricity to power around 100,000 average-sized homes.
Construction is expected to start in mid-2026, and operations and renewable energy generation are anticipated to start in 2028, pending approvals.