Residents of a rural area have failed in their court appeal against a solar farm development. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)Residents of a rural area have failed in their court appeal against a solar farm development. Two residents of Wallaroo, on the outskirts of Canberra, appealed the Independent Planning Commission's 2024 decision to approve the 100 megawatt solar farm across 165 hectares of grazing land. On Thursday, Land and Environment Court Commissioner Susan O'Neill ruled the solar farm, which will power 40,000 NSW and ACT homes, was in the broader public interest. "Large-scale solar energy developments are not by their nature inconsistent with maintaining a rural character," Ms O'Neill said.