Stop Venn Energy
Boree Solar Project Opposition · Geurie NSW
Boree Solar Project · Geurie NSW
The Facts About the
Boree Solar Project
What Venn Energy is proposing, where it sits, who it affects, and where the approval process stands. All sourced from publicly available planning documents.
The Project
What is the Boree Solar Project?
The Boree Solar Project is a proposed large-scale solar and battery storage facility being developed by Canadian company Venn Energy on approximately 1,322 hectares of agricultural land north of Geurie and east of Wongarbon in Central West NSW.
The project would have a targeted electricity generating capacity of up to 250 megawatts (MW) and a battery energy storage system (BESS) of up to 800 megawatt-hours (MWh). If approved, it would operate for 30 years from approximately 2029.
The proposed site covers six lots within the Dubbo Regional Council Local Government Area, zoned RU1 – Primary Production under the Dubbo Local Environmental Plan 2022. The land is currently used for grain farming and grazing — productive agricultural uses that have sustained local families for generations.
The site is located approximately 4km north of Geurie village, 4km east of Wongarbon, 21km south-east of Dubbo, and 21km north-west of Wellington. It borders the Mitchell Highway on its southern edge and several local roads including Albion Hills Road, Firbank Road, and Westella Road.
Landholders neighbouring the site were first notified by letter in early 2025 — many with less than a month to respond to an initial community survey. Dubbo Regional Council's mayor reportedly learned of the project through Facebook on April 1, 2025, the same day formal landowner notifications were issued.
The project is currently progressing through the NSW State Significant Development assessment process. The Scoping Report was formally lodged with the Department in August 2025, and the Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) have since been issued — the Government's formal instructions for what must be studied in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Project at a Glance
Developer
Venn Energy (Canada)
Location
Geurie, Central West NSW
Site area
1,322 hectares
Capacity
Up to 250MW solar
Battery storage
Up to 800MWh BESS
Land zoning
RU1 Primary Production
LGA
Dubbo Regional Council
Proposed construction
From 2027 (if approved)
Operational life
30 years from 2029
Status
SEARs issued · EIS in prep
The Developer
Who is Venn Energy?
Venn Energy is a Canadian renewable energy developer with over 2 gigawatts of projects under development across Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. The company entered the Australian market in March 2019 through a long-term strategic partnership with Aira Group (formerly Artibir Energy, a Turkish energy company).
Their first Australian project was the Banksia Solar Project near Childers, Queensland, which received development approval from Bundaberg Regional Council in January 2021 and is expected to begin construction in 2025. Their Australian portfolio also includes the Lambruk Solar Project near Tamworth (NSW) and the Cooba Solar Project in Victoria — both of which face significant community opposition.
Venn Energy operates as a project developer, not an operator. The company's stated intention is to sell down their equity stake to between zero and five percent once development approvals are secured — meaning the community's long-term relationship would be with an unknown future owner, not the developer who consulted them.
Key concern: Landholders and community members report that initial consultation was limited to a handful of directly affected properties, with small-scale maps providing little clarity on the true scope of the project. The Dubbo Regional Council mayor learned of the proposal via Facebook on the same day formal notifications were issued to landholders.
Venn Energy describes itself as committed to community engagement throughout the EIS process. However, affected landholders and community members consistently report a different experience — limited early disclosure, inadequate consultation timelines, and refusal to meet with the broader community outside structured company-led events.
The company's approach across all three Australian projects — Boree, Lambruk, and Cooba — follows a similar pattern: initial letters to a narrow group of directly neighbouring properties, a brief survey period, and community consultation framed around project design detail rather than whether the project should proceed at all.
Venn Energy is progressing the Boree Solar Project as a State Significant Development under NSW planning law, which means the ultimate decision rests with the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure — not the local council. Dubbo Regional Council has no approval power over the project, though its formal submission to the EIS carries significant weight.
On ownership: Venn Energy has indicated it intends to sell down its equity in the project to as little as zero percent after approvals are granted. The community's long-term counterpart would be an unidentified future owner.
Where Things Stand
Project Timeline
March 2019
Venn Energy enters Australian market
Venn Energy and Aira Group (formerly Artibir Energy) enter a long-term strategic partnership to develop over 2GW of renewable energy projects across Victoria, NSW, and Queensland.
Early 2025
Landholders notified by letter
A small number of landholders neighbouring the proposed site receive letters from Venn Energy advising of the Boree Solar Project proposal. Many report receiving small-scale, unclear maps with less than a month to complete a community survey. Dubbo Regional Council learns of the project via Facebook on April 1, 2025.
August 2025
Scoping Report lodged with DPHI
Venn Energy formally lodges the Scoping Report with the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI), initiating the State Significant Development assessment process.
Late 2025 / Early 2026
Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) issued
DPHI issues the SEARs — the Government's formal instructions outlining what technical studies and assessments Venn Energy must complete as part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This is based on the Scoping Report and input from State agencies and Dubbo Regional Council.
TBC
Pending
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) submitted
Venn Energy must prepare and submit the full EIS addressing all SEARs requirements. This includes technical reports on noise, visual impact, biodiversity, social impact, agricultural land value, and more. Timeline not yet confirmed.
TBC
Pending
Public exhibition of EIS — community submission window opens
Once the EIS is submitted and accepted, it will be publicly exhibited by DPHI. This is the critical window for community members, allied groups, councils, and individuals to lodge formal submissions.
2027 (if approved)
Pending
Construction commences
Venn Energy has indicated construction could begin in 2027 if the project receives all necessary approvals. The project would then operate for 30 years from approximately 2029.
The Core Issue
Why Agricultural Land Matters
The Boree Solar Project site is zoned RU1 – Primary Production. This is some of Central West NSW's most productive farming and grazing country — land that has sustained regional food production, rural communities, and local economies for generations.
Converting 1,322 hectares of this land to an industrial solar installation for 30 years is not a reversible decision in any meaningful sense. Soil compaction, drainage changes, loss of productive capacity, and the economic knock-on effects for surrounding farms and local businesses are all documented concerns raised by affected landholders.
The community is not opposed to renewable energy in principle. The concern is that viable alternatives — degraded land, rooftops, industrial zones — exist, and that prime agricultural land should not be sacrificed when better-suited sites are available.
Loss of productive farmland
1,322 hectares of RU1-zoned primary production land removed from agricultural use for a minimum of 30 years. Long-term soil and drainage impacts not fully assessed.
Flood and drainage risk
Community members have raised concerns that removing vegetated farmland from the flood plain could increase runoff and worsen existing flood risks for the village of Geurie.
Impact on local businesses
Geurie's local economy — including the 123-year-old General Store — depends on farming activity. Reduced agricultural workforce in the area directly affects business viability.
Biodiversity and riparian areas
Parts of affected properties hold biodiversity and riparian protection orders. The project's interaction with these areas requires thorough independent assessment.
Visual and amenity impacts
Affected landholders describe the prospect of being surrounded on multiple boundaries by tens of thousands of solar panels, 10-foot fences, razor wire, security cameras, and floodlights.
Inadequate early consultation
Notification was limited to a narrow group of immediately neighbouring properties. The broader community, local council, and affected residents were not meaningfully engaged during the scoping phase.
Boree is Not Alone
Venn Energy is proposing Solar Projects at Lambruk (Tamworth, NSW) and Cooba (Victoria) — both facing organised community opposition. Together, these projects span close to 4,000 hectares across three states.
The EIS Submission Window is Your Chance to Be Heard
A step-by-step guide to lodging your formal objection through NSW Planning.