Lightning Ridge residents living on the opal fields are one step closer to getting power on their claims, following approval at Monday's Walgett Shire Council meeting that if certain criteria were met, the proposal would get the nod.
In the past the Camps on Claims Working Party had a blanket 'no' approach to connecting any claims to power because it could cause sterilisation of large chunks of the opal fields, however this line of thinking has changed in recent times.
The Department of Mineral Resources has broken away from this policy by allowing two camps that had power poles on their claims to connect, one at Grawin and the other along the Aerodrome Road.
Similarly the council broke away from the policy late last year by allowing another resident at the Four Mile to connect.
However, these residents proved that they desperately needed to be connected to the mains for health needs.
As a result the ‘no power' policy had become ineffective because two of the five groups represented on the Camps on Claims Working Party had overridden the policy in a few circumstances.
As a result the chairman of the working party group Peter Downes from Planning NSW wrote to council proposing a five-point plan.
This plan would mean residents who wanted to be connected to the mains power line would be able to do so if they met the criteria on safety, sterilisation of opal, legal access, cost and planning set by the relevant departments or authorities.
Those bodies would then need to give endorsement before power would be granted.
At Monday's meeting Cr David Lane put forward a motion, which was moved, that council agree to the plan if the Lightning Ridge Mining Board approved it.
Initially, council was going to refuse any more connections to power but at Monday's meeting Cr Joan Treweeke said this approach wasn't appropriate anymore because there were already many power lines across the opal fields in Lightning Ridge.
"We are not starting with a clean sheet because development has already occurred.
"I think council needs to balance the variety of needs of its constituents."
Mayor Peter Waterford said the working party had initially been set up so claims residents could get a better title on the land, and the issue of power to camps had never been the group's focus.
"But I believe we need to look into the future, but to change the system completely would sterilise the opal fields, which would be detrimental to the Ridge.
"At the same time I accept there are circumstances and for council to knock it on the head could be detrimental too."
Mayor Waterford said there were only about 20 to 30 claims that had a power pole on or near their claim, who would possibly be able to connect but it would still cost them at least $10,000.
"There has been a blanket policy not to grant connection in the past, but the Department of Mineral Resources may allow it if those claims that want to get connected are already on sterilised ground."
Cr Treweeke said no one believed more power lines should go in on the fields and it was hoped the solar power plan would be expanded.
Cr David Lane said the new proposal would mean those who had a power pole or line on their claim or near it would find it easier to get the tick from the five groups on the working party in meeting the criteria.
"Mainly any applicant would need to prove they're not going to sterilise the ground."
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