🌊 Ma – The Gap Between the Waves
- Sally Hunter
- Jun 4
- 3 min read
Have you ever stood at the edge of the ocean and noticed that moment when one wave has rolled in and drawn back — and there's nothing yet to replace it? It’s not emptiness, but charged with presence and anticipation. The Japanese call this space "ma" — the pause between the beats, the silence between sounds, the stillness between waves.
Right now, the Narrabri Community Battery is in its own ma.
🌊 The Wave That Was
We’ve ridden a powerful wave of progress to get to this point. A lot has already been done:
✅ Funding is secured.
✅ The battery itself is ready and waiting in Melbourne.
✅ The culverts it will rest on are ready and waiting to be delivered.
✅ The stairs and handrails are here in Narrabri.
✅ The switchboard electrical work is complete.
✅ Our stunning artwork is finalised and ready for installation.
That’s not nothing. That’s a wave.
🌊 The Pause
But now, we’re in a strange moment of suspension. Some vital elements — once approved and progressing — have entered a holding pattern:
⚠️ The previously approved site is under review.
⚠️ The development approval, construction certificate, and grid connection agreement are paused.
And so we find ourselves in the ma.
🌊 The Wave to Come
The next wave will come — and when it does, it will carry us forward with:
✅ Confirmation of the site.
✅ Installation and connection of the battery.
✅ Community use, connection and benefit in this project.
But in this moment of stillness, ma, we’ve found the opportunity to reflect, refine, and reach out to you while we continue to work hard on finding ways around the blockages.
📢 How You Can Help
While we continue to work on the logistics, approvals and plans, we’re calling on our community to help us flood this stillness with knowledge, positivity, and momentum. Here's how:
💬 Like, share, or comment on our social media posts.
📬 Forward our blogs to friends or post them on community noticeboards.
📚 Read and share our latest stories that answer key questions:
🧠 You Might Be Wondering…
📌 What’s the community benefit of the battery? 100% of profits go back into local community and renewable energy projects. That’s an estimated $10,000–$20,000 per year — reinvested right here.
📌 What are the broader benefits? The battery will help more homes install and export solar, reducing curtailment (when solar is wasted) and strengthening local grid reliability.
📌 Why is a pause problematic? We were scheduled to install in March 2025. Delays mean increased costs, duplicated efforts, and risk to the timeline for funding completion by June 2025.
📌 Is it safe? Yes. The battery meets strict safety standards, uses a safe LFP chemistry, and is supported by multiple layers of protection. We’ve shared the data — and the comparisons — throughout our website, blogs and socials.
📌 Why is it important? As the energy transition accelerates, regional communities must find ways to secure local benefits. This battery is one way to ensure Narrabri isn’t left behind.
📌 What happens now? We don’t know exactly.
We’re in the ma. But it’s not wasted time — it’s a moment of energy, reflection, and readiness. We are continuing to work on the project daily, trying to find a way forward.
🌱 Let’s Make the Most of the Ma
In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing new materials, insights, and community stories. We hope you’ll be there to help us tell them.
Because the next wave is coming — and when it does, we want our whole community ready to ride it together.
📍 From the team at Geni.Energy, Narrabri
📞 0459 944 778🌐 www.geni.energy📍 13/60 Maitland St, Narrabri NSW
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