The small scale of the Ashley Solar farm means that visual and other impacts are kept to a minimum and the local rural landscape is largely preserved. While there will be some disruptions during the construction phase, CleanPeak Energy is committed to keeping the nearby residents informed on updates to construction activities and timelines.

CleanPeak Energy will work closely with the local community and ensure noise disruptions will be kept at minimum and communicated with nearby stakeholders in advance. Construction noise will be contained to working hours with vehicles accessing the site prior and after work hours for commuting purposes.

There will be additional traffic movements during the construction phase. However, a traffic management plan will be put in place to minimise the impact on the local community. During construction, approximately twenty workers will be accessing the site during working hours using utes or small trucks. CleanPeak will upgrade nearby roads and intersections to a rural road standard where required.

Throughout our planning process, CleanPeak Energy has carefully considered the visual impact of the site from the surrounding areas. We have developed comprehensive landscaping plans to provide vegetation screening along the boundaries of the site. Once established, the native trees and shrubs will significantly reduce visibility of the solar farm and contribute positively to the local biodiversity of the site. Our plan is to integrate sheep grazing under the panels to further preserve the rural aesthetic of the site.

Our solar farms are designed and operated to very high safety standards and fire hazards are thoroughly considered. We engaged both a fire safety specialist and a bushfire specialist to assess the risks specific to this site and recommend the best approach to minimise them. Our risk mitigation measures include: a dedicated fire water tank; roads designed for fire truck access; Asset Protection Zones around the site; ongoing grass & vegetation monitoring and management to reduce bushfire risk. CleanPeak Energy also follows detailed safety management plans throughout the entire project lifecycle to ensure safe construction and operation.

CleanPeak Energy has a build-own-operate business model and will continue to operate the Ashley Solar Farm once construction is complete. We see our relationship with the Ashley community as a long-term partnership, built on mutual benefit & success.