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Residents in the small farming village of Dalton, north of Canberra, are picking up the fight against plans for a gas-fired power station they thought had been scrapped.
The AGL project was approved in 2012 but just months later the plan was abandoned, leaving the 500 hectares of land it purchased for the station vacant.
The five-year approval the project was given is set to lapse in July, and the energy provider has applied to extend it by two years, amid a changing energy climate.
A spokesperson for AGL said the energy supplier was "looking at further opportunities that will provide energy security and reliability for customers".
But locals who fought against the approval the first time are not happy it could be back on the table.
Former president of the Upper Lachlan Environment Association, Alister Waine, said he was surprised by AGL's move to revisit the facility.
"We were just gobsmacked, because they have had five years," he said.
"AGL is asking for more time to consider what's changed for them and they are denying us the opportunity to have considered the things that have changed for us.
"There is a lot of people who have moved into the area — the impacts of this facility on them hasn't been considered."
Plant site 'visible from living room'
Jay Gribbin is in the middle of building a home in Dalton.
If AGL decides to go ahead and construct the station, the stacks from the power station will be seen out his living room window.
Mr Gribbin said he might have reconsidered building, if he had known.
"Now that I know where the power station is in relation to the sighting of our house, yeah — you'd have to think twice about it to be honest," he said.
"We are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars on this project, and if people don't want to live next a power station it [the value of the home] won't be anywhere near what it is costing to build."
AGL said the project was designed to be a peaking station, which meant it could be operated when more energy supply is needed to meet customer demand.
Project could create 200 jobs
Representatives from AGL recently visited the Upper Lachlan Shire Mayor, Brian McCormack.
He said if the plant went ahead, about 200 jobs would be created during construction.
"The Prime Minister is talking about renewable energy and this is one way to guarantee power for the people of New South Wales in peak periods," Mr McCormack said.
"It's very controversial — it's close to Dalton and that is a concern in itself.
"But it only runs at peak times so it switches on for a short time and then switches off."
Mayor McCormack said a community benefit fund was being discussed that could potentially help Dalton locals financially over the next 30 to 40 years.
The application for the extension is on public exhibition to give locals a chance to voice their concerns.
The final decision will be made by the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment.
Topics: oil-and-gas, electricity-energy-and-utilities, rural, dalton-2581, nsw, canberra-2600, act, australia
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