Millions wasted on inactive solar power plant

FIRST ON 7: A giant solar power plant in South Australia’s far north has been dismantled, with claims parts of it might have been stolen.

Millions of taxpayers dollars have been wasted on the plant which was built in Umuwa, in the APY Lands back in 2003.

Ten towers have now been stripped bare at the inactive plant which was built to power the local community.

“It's been taken away and maybe stolen but maybe they put it somewhere else but our people don't know anything about it,” APY executive board member Gary Lewis told 7 News.

The state government removed all mirrors last year but Mr Lewis believes it should still be working.

“It's been millions maybe four million and that's been wasted. All that money on solar power and it's not working anymore it's a waste of money.”

“We want to tell the government this is been going wrong and we want to make sure that we're standing for the communities and people in the APY Lands."

This facility which could have helped hundreds of aboriginal people in the APY Lands, has been a total failure.

“I think it has been an embarrassment, it is a problem a lot of money was invested in it. I think the problem may be ongoing maintenance,” Former MP Lyn Breuer said.

The government says "it became unsustainable to provide ongoing repairs or to re-commission the system."