Central West-Orana Regional Energy Zone consultation held in Bathurst

The scheduled 10am to 12pm consultation on Tuesday had only five people turned up and even the hall's lone bartender commented he could not ascertain if he'll be serving up drinks in between the two sessions when the Daily Liberal enquired.

A local who requested anonymity said they were advised it was a Zoom meeting at Wellington but advised an option to attend in person at Dunedoo next day which they found too far a drive to bother.

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The resident commented: "There is certainly going to be a lot of renewables around here. Wind farms are okay but the solar farms look terrible."

Despite the low turnout of residents, the consultation meant to gather community sentiments on the "revised study corridor" through feedbacks to enable EnergyCo to "further refine the corridor" went ahead, a spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said.

Dubbo MP and NSW Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders couldn't attend but instead urged his constituents to go to the information sessions in the interest of their community.

In a statement, Mr Saunders said: "We know the renewable energy industry is presenting a number of opportunities for landholders, including increased self-sufficiency and additional income streams. However, as a government, we need to make sure we're doing all we can to facilitate this diversification of businesses in the best possible way and including all sections of the community.

"That's why as Agriculture Minister I've commissioned a review to assess the issues and opportunities arising from the growth of renewable energy facilities - particularly on the farming sector - as well as to address the benefits and challenges on housing supply, tourism, and workforce and labour issues in regional areas.

"To get the best possible outcome for the community, we need the community's input. I strongly encourage anyone with any concerns or feedback to attend information sessions to get more details firsthand, or contact the Central-West Orana REZ project team on 0482 061 006 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) or by emailing info@cworez.net.au."

The planning and environment spokesperson explained EnergyCo will be "working with potentially affected landowners to minimise impacts on farming, mining and other business activities through the life of the project."

"During the planning phase, we want to understand farming operations and other possible property impacts or concerns. This informs the design and location of the infrastructure. This could include avoiding dwellings and high value land, minimising fragmentation of blocks, limiting construction access and respecting landscape."