| Following the submission of the Inverell Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Scoping Report in November 2025, the NSW Planning Secretary has issued the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs). The SEARs outline the assessments required for the next phase of the Project — the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is scheduled to commence in January 2026. Key assessments identified in the SEARs include biodiversity, heritage, visual impacts, noise, hazards, water and soils, and social impacts, among others. This next stage of the State Significant Development (SSD) application process will enable a much greater level of detail to be developed and understood across a range of matters raised by the community. We will continue to communicate the outcomes of these assessments as information becomes available in the new year. Our next Project update will also aim to provide more detail on when the Project team will be in Inverell for the next round of community engagement sessions, including opportunities to share and discuss available EIS information. |
| November 2025 Project team, neighbour group and MP meeting |
| In late November 2025, the Inverell BESS Project team held a meeting with members from the Alliance of Directly Impacted Neighbours (ADAN) group and Mr Brendan Moylan, NSW MP for the Northern Tablelands to provide a Project update and respond to questions raised by the group. The meeting focused on a range of topics relating to Project design, site selection, indicative timelines, potential impacts, and how these will be assessed as the Project progresses into the EIS phase. Discussions also centred on issues of particular importance to near neighbours, including noise, visual impacts, vegetation management, fire safety and emergency procedures, stormwater controls, property values, and future engagement opportunities. During the meeting, the Project team emphasised that detailed investigations—such as noise modelling, landscape and visual impact assessment, biodiversity surveys, and fire safety studies—will commence in early 2026. These technical studies will ultimately inform the Project’s final layout, proposed mitigation measures, and any additional commitments that may be required to minimise impacts on neighbouring properties. |
| Completed and upcoming biodiversity surveys |
| In November 2025, the Project’s ecology team completed a targeted round of biodiversity surveys across the proposed Project Site. The surveys focused on identifying the presence of threatened reptile species, including the Pale-headed Snake, Zig-zag Velvet Gecko and Border Thick-tailed Gecko. Survey sites were inspected during both day and night over four consecutive days; however, no threatened reptile species were detected. Further biodiversity surveys are planned for January 2026. During this period, the ecology team will again visit the Site over multiple days to survey for threatened January-flowering flora species, including Finger Panic Grass, Bluegrass, Belson’s Panic, Bailey’s Indigo and Hawkweed. Additional koala surveys will also be undertaken during this time. |
| Future Community Engagement Sessions |
| With the SEARs now received, we will be able to confirm our anticipated engagement timeline in the new year and look forward to updating you when we have more information about our next visit to the Inverell area. If you have any specific questions, please contact the Project team, and we will do our best to provide answers. If you know someone who would like to stay informed, please encourage them to share their email address with us. This will be our primary method of communication leading up to the next information sessions in 2026. Statement: South Energy |
