An update on our consultation with Hydrostor

Outback Astronomy

Published on 04/11/2026

Protecting our dark skies

Since the NSW Land and Environment Court decision of 25 March 2026, we have continued working very hard to ensure the strengthened conditions protecting Outback Astronomy and our dark night skies are properly implemented.

You can read earlier articles here:

Background (23 December 2024)
Our Court Appeal Upheld (31 March 2026)
Post Court Update (4 September 2026)

We were forced to attend Court because the approved project’s conditions did not contain sufficient or rigorous mitigations and other requirements to protect our property, at 1.13km from a proposed compressed air power generation plant with the potential to introduce significant noise and lighting impacts.

Hydrostor did not agree to fully compensate us for the anticipated loss of amenity at our residence and the potential impacts upon our business, which we began 12 years ago and have passionately pursued, not just for ourselves, but also for the benefit of our local community.

So here we are, much poorer after the Court experience, but more determined than ever to protect the dark sky environment at our property.

Monitoring and consultation

In August 2026, and again in October 2026, we wrote formally to NSW Planning raising concerns about Hydrostor’s approved Environmental Management Strategy (EMS). In particular, new Court-approved requirements for baseline light monitoring before construction starts have not been adequately incorporated into the project’s monitoring and reporting framework in that EMS.

Of immediate concern is the requirement to establish an accurate record of our night-sky conditions BEFORE construction begins. Once construction changes the night-time environment, that original baseline cannot be recreated.

We have been monitoring our property’s darkness since late May 2026, independently of Hydrostor’s monitoring obligations. Around the time of the New Moon, when the sky is darkest under clear conditions, we consistently record darker conditions than those reported in Hydrostor’s 2024 Lighting Impact Assessment (LIA), the document relied upon in the project’s assessment by NSW Planning. Although the two sets of measurements use different equipment, our results raise important questions about how accurately the LIA represents the darkness our guests experience.

We have also advised NSW Planning that Hydrostor has ceased consultation with us, despite our continued willingness to participate constructively. The Court requires Hydrostor to consult with us, but since we shared our formal complaint with the company on 19 August 2026, we’ve heard nothing. This is very concerning given that Hydrostor has publicly indicated construction may start in early 2027.

Not hearing anything from Hydrostor, and considering our own light monitoring results, we took a closer look at the LIA and the background science relied upon in the assessment process.

On 26 October 2026, we lodged a separate formal complaint with NSW Planning Compliance, raising matters we believe warrant regulatory examination. We followed this up on 30 October 2026, as we are still awaiting responses on the wider issues we have raised. We are not disclosing the details of this latest complaint at this stage.

We will not give up our quest for full disclosure and accountability. We now want clear answers about why some of these important protections appear to have been overlooked in Hydrostor’s environmental management documentation.

Our priority remains unchanged. We expect the protections secured through the Court process to be implemented in full, particularly those safeguarding our dark skies and the stargazing experience that our guests travel to Broken Hill to enjoy.

We appreciate your continued interest and support and will share further developments when there is meaningful progress.