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Murray River Council rejects renewables plan over lack of control

By Louie Cina

Sep 1, 2026

While the motion was defeated, all Murray River Council councillors supported the main principle of the plan: to maximise the benefits from potential renewable energy development in the region. Photo by AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Murray River Council councillors have blasted NSW and federal governments’ renewable energy development policies, rejecting a proposal that would set out parameters for major renewables projects in the local government area.

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Cr Gen Campbell slammed the plan to ensure council reaps maximum benefits from renewable energy projects, noting that the NSW Government had final say on major renewable energy projects.

“This document isn’t worth the piece of paper it’s written on,” Cr Campbell said.

“As a councillor, I don’t support any of this renewable energy development unless we have a say and stop selling out our farmers (who) are the most valuable asset of this country.

“I’m not sending a message to any government that I support any of their nonsense where we don’t have a say in what they’re doing to our country.”

While no major renewable energy products have been confirmed in the MRC area, council anticipates there may be in the future, after the NSW Government declared the South West Renewable Energy Zone a priority zone for renewable energy developments.

MRC and six other councils sit within the SW REZ, with four major projects already approved in other LGAs in the zone.

Though councillors agreed with the idea to maximise the benefit of any potential developments, endorsing of a draft plan that implied council supported projects it did not have a say in the approval of proved a sticking point.

The motion to place the draft plan on display for public submissions was defeated four votes to three.