Water & environment · Ballina Shire Council
Discounted sale considered for solar panels from Ballina wastewater project
Ballina Shire Council is investigating whether some panels can be sold cheaply to community members, while its contract requires panels not reused to go to a commercial solar-panel recycling facility.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
Ballina Shire Council is considering a heavily discounted community sale for some solar panels from its Waste Water Management Plant project, but testing, storage and sale conditions require further investigation before a decision on whether the option can proceed.
Staff comments recorded in the C Ward Committee minutes for 10 September identify testing to confirm the panels remain functional, storage until they can be offered to the community and any terms and conditions of sale as matters requiring further investigation.
Panels not used through the community-reuse option are required to go to a commercial solar-panel recycling facility under the project contract, according to the meeting minutes. The project tender had already been awarded at the August Council meeting, but the record does not name the contractor or give the number of panels or project cost.
The committee noted the information rather than approving a sale. The clearest commitment in the record is the contractual recycling requirement; whether residents will be able to buy functioning panels remains unresolved.
The discussion also included a suggestion from Ballina Environment Society member Malcolm Johnson for Council to work with the Airport, Ballina Fair and Ballina Central on possible solar panels over car parks. The minutes record the suggestion and Cr Chate’s acknowledgement, but no approval or establishment of a working group.
What deserves a closer look
The contractual recycling pathway is recorded as a requirement, while the community-sale option remains subject to further investigation and a decision on whether it can proceed.
The car-park solar working group was recorded as a suggestion rather than an approved project or committee decision.
Questions for follow-up reporting
If Council pursues a community sale, when would panel testing, storage and sale conditions be settled?
Will Council proceed with a community sale, and if so, how will residents be notified?
Will Council establish the suggested working group with the Airport, Ballina Fair and Ballina Central to examine solar panels over car parks?
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
Council is exploring a heavily discounted community sale of some panels from the Waste Water Management Plant project.
Meeting Comment The information contained in the agenda was noted. 8.3 Business With Notice - Ballina Environment Society - Solar Energy Panel Upgrades at Waste Water Management Plant Ballina Environment Society enquires what the Council's plan is for the decommissioning the end of operational life solar panels at Waste Water Management Plant. Staff Comment: Council is exploring two options to re-use and recycle the solar panels from the project. The first option is to re-use a portion of the panels by offering them for sale at a heavily discounted price to members of the community.
8.3 Business With Notice — item heading and staff comment
Open original minutes ↗Testing, storage and sale terms require further investigation before a decision on whether the community-sale option can proceed.
There are some aspects of this option that require further investigation before a decision is made on whether it can be progressed including testing of panels to ensure they are functional, storage of panels until they can be offered to the community and any other terms and conditions of any sale.
8.3 Business With Notice — staff comment
Open original minutes ↗Panels not used through the first option are to be recycled at a commercial solar-panel recycling facility, and the requirement is written into the contract.
The second option is to dispose of them at a commercial solar panel recycling facility. Any panels not used in the first option outlined above would be recycled. As a minimum, this requirement is written into the contract for the work.
8.3 Business With Notice — staff comment
Open original minutes ↗The information was noted, and Troy Anderson advised that the project tender had been awarded at the August Council meeting.
Meeting Comment The information contained in the agenda was noted. Troy Anderson advised that the tender for the project had been awarded at the August Council meeting. Malcolm Johnson discussed issues for the RFS during blackouts and advised that they are looking for ways to have power available to them.
8.3 Business With Notice — meeting comment
Open original minutes ↗Malcolm Johnson suggested that Council establish a working group with the Airport, Ballina Fair and Ballina Central to investigate opportunities for solar panels over car parks.
Meeting Comment The information contained in the agenda was noted. Troy Anderson advised that the tender for the project had been awarded at the August Council meeting. Malcolm Johnson discussed issues for the RFS during blackouts and advised that they are looking for ways to have power available to them. Malcolm also suggested that Council establish a working group with the Airport, Ballina Fair and Ballina Central to investigate opportunities for installing solar panels over car park areas to generate renewable energy.
8.3 Business With Notice — meeting discussion
Open original minutes ↗Cr Chate acknowledged Malcolm Johnson for his forward thinking on the matter.
MINUTES OF THE C WARD COMMITTEE MEETING HELD AT CRAWFORD HOUSE 10 WARDELL ROAD ALSTONVILLE ON 10/09/26 AT 5.00PM Ballina Shire Council C Ward Committee Minutes 10/09/26 Page 4 of 8 Cr Chate acknowledged Malcolm Johnson for his forward thinking on this matter.
8.3 Business With Notice — meeting discussion, page 4
Open original minutes ↗The attendance list identifies Malcolm Johnson with the Ballina Environment Society and Tuckombil Landcare.
Acknowledgment of Country In opening the meeting, the Chair provided an Acknowledgement of Country. 2. Attendance and Apologies (including updates/changes in membership) Members Cr Simon Chate Cr Simon Kinny Bill Coulter - Alstonville/Wollongbar Chamber of Commerce Christine Grant – St Vincent De Paul Jeff Cush - Wardell and District Progress Association John Sim - Alstonville Plateau Historical Society and Heritage Advisory Ballina Malcolm Johnson - Ballina Environment Society and Tuckombil Landcare Russell Priddle - Alstonville Football Club Simon Winfield - Pearces Creek Hall Veronica Lovejoy - Wollongbar Community Action Network (WCAN) Council
2. Attendance and Apologies — members
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Ballina Shire Council, C Ward Committee minutes for 10 September 2026. This article reports from the council’s minutes and does not represent independent observation or verification.
Key facts from the minutes
- Council is exploring a heavily discounted community sale of some panels from the Waste Water Management Plant project.
- Testing, storage and sale terms require further investigation before a decision on whether the community-sale option can proceed.
- Panels not reused are required under the work contract to go to a commercial solar-panel recycling facility.
- The project tender was awarded at the August Council meeting, according to the minutes.
- The C Ward Committee noted the information; it did not record approval of a community sale or establishment of a solar working group.
Why it matters
- The project contract provides a recycling pathway for panels that are not reused, while any discounted community sale remains subject to further investigation of testing, storage and sale arrangements.