Thank you for supporting this Petition - we’re still in the early days (just 2 weeks) but already it has got plenty of people talking… and raised even more questions!
There are serious concerns re:
* the financial viability of this proposal
*the lack of comprehensive energy audits (both business and residential) to determine the sizing of the solar farm and distribution network
*the reliability and sustainability of both the generation plant and distribution network especially during extreme weather events like the flooding after Cyclone Jasper
*the lack of publicly available data on transmission network design and timeframes
*the lack of information about the likely connection costs (trenching, cabling, rewiring, upgrade of inverters etc) for both residents and businesses
*the total lack of alternatives (and alternative funding) for those with existing Stand Alone Systems who are unlikely to connect
This Petition doesn’t propose going back to the drawing board but it DOES propose a real, comprehensive survey and audit of residential and business energy usage, needs and preferences - something which has NEVER been done!
AND… a better solution than the current proposal which (if it even goes ahead) is unlikely to be reliable, sustainable or cost effective for the majority of Daintree residents including businesses.
The Petition has been targeted primarily to Daintree residents and their families and although we are a small population, many locals have already supported it. Paper based Petitions are also circulating in the community. Please continue to share and encourage friends and family to sign it.
We also value all non-residential Supporters who have signed to show they care. Please continue to share the Petition to non-resident friends and encourage their support.
Volt Advisory have scheduled a Public Meeting to be held from 5 pm on Thursday May 9 at Heritage Lodge. If you have concerns that this proposed grid is not the best solution, that it won’t meet your energy needs or questions about costs, reliability or alternatives, please come.
Thank you again for your ongoing interest!