OUR APPROACH

We’re committed to genuine engagement with local communities and project stakeholders. Because building strong relationships is crucial to any socially sustainable project.

The Clean Energy Council has developed a Best Practice Charter for Renewable Energy Projects, which emphasises community engagement. We’re committed to honouring this charter in the way we develop this project.

We’ll continue to engage with neighbours and broaden the consultation effort to include the wider community and stakeholders throughout the planning process. And this engagement will be ongoing, as we do more assessments and investigations.

The consultation process will provide valuable local insights, to help us identify opportunities and constraints for the proposal.

Queensland has an integrated development application, assessment and decision-making system.

Local governments are usually the development assessment manager. However, where state interests are affected, the Planning Regulation 2017 may require that certain development applications be referred to the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA).

If the project is referred to SARA, development applications will be assessed against the State Development Assessment Provisions (SDAP). Wind farms can require either State Code 23: Wind Farm Development or Environmental Impact Assessment.

We’ll provide regular updates on planning requirements, as the project progresses.

We’ll undertake comprehensive technical, environmental, and social studies which - together with further community consultation - will shape the development of the Mount Challenger Wind Farm.

This includes continuing our engagement with Whitsunday Regional Council communities to understand ways that the area can benefit from the project. This could include filling a key gap in infrastructure. Or suggestions for local initiatives, such as the development of a benefit sharing program to support the local community and provide a long-lasting legacy in the area.

As the heart of the Greater Barrier Reef, sustainability is a central theme throughout the Whitsunday region. From reef restoration and water quality to on-farm practices and recycling, developers need to ensure the local economy continues to grow in sustainable ways.

Find out more about the potential benefits of the project here.

We’ll need to do extensive environmental and social studies as the project progresses. These studies take time, because we need to understand the environment around the proposed renewable energy infrastructure and adjust the layout to reduce potential impacts on flora and fauna. The longest studies are the bird and bat utilisation surveys (BBUS).

If approved, the Mount Challenger Wind Farm could supply clean energy to over 80,000 Queensland homes and avoid approximately 360,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

We would expect the Mount Challenger Wind Farm to operate for up to 35 years.

As a signatory to the Clean Energy Council’s Best Practice Charter, we’re committed to working respectfully with communities, during wind farm development, construction, operation, and end of life decommissioning.

We take community concerns regarding decommissioning seriously. Decommissioning means that the wind turbines, site office and any other ancillary infrastructure is removed from the site, and roads and foundation pads are covered and revegetated. This allows land to be returned to its former use. Typically, landowner contracts and Development Applications contain definite clauses setting out the expectations around rehabilitating the site.

Read more on the Clean Energy Council’s Decommissioning guidelines here.