❓ Mr. Zempilas inquires about fire risk guidance for utility-scale solar farms and BESS, consultation with DFES, and communication methods. The Minister provides information on existing guidelines and consultation but declines to table documents.
AnsweredQoN 735Legislative Assembly
Asked
9 September 2025
Member
Portfolio
Attorney General; Minister for Commerce; Tertiary and International Education; Multicultural Interests
QuestionView source ↗
(1) What written guidance has Building and Energy issued to designers/installers/operators of utility-scale solar farms and battery energy storage systems (BESS) regarding fire risk? (2) What consultation occurred with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and network operators? (3) How is that guidance communicated to the utility-scale solar farm industry? (4) Will the Minister table current guidance and the consultation log?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 October 2025
Response time
6 days
(1) The revised Western Australian Electrical Requirements and Guidelines for the Safe Management of High Voltage Electrical Installations both provide guidance on utility-scale solar photovoltaic installations and battery energy storage system installations exceeding 200 kWh.
(2) Western Power, Horizon Power, Rio Tinto, BHP and several peak electrical industry groups were consulted. They are the relevant stakeholders for technical electrical guidelines.
(3) All guidance was sent to industry stakeholders via eAlerts and a regular newsletter. All guidelines are available to download for free online.
(4) No.
(2) Western Power, Horizon Power, Rio Tinto, BHP and several peak electrical industry groups were consulted. They are the relevant stakeholders for technical electrical guidelines.
(3) All guidance was sent to industry stakeholders via eAlerts and a regular newsletter. All guidelines are available to download for free online.
(4) No.
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