The Victorian Government has approved the 1.5GW Warracknabeal Energy Park, paving the way for the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere.
The project, led by WestWind Energy, will involve the installation of up to 219 wind turbines across two sites near Warracknabeal in western Victoria.
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The facility is expected to produce enough clean electricity for around 1.2 million households while cutting annual carbon dioxide output by an estimated 4.2 million tonnes.
Government figures estimate this could meet between 11.8% and 12.5% of the state’s future energy needs.
Victoria Minister for Energy and Resources Jaclyn Symes said: “While Labor is getting on with building the energy projects Victoria needs, Jess Wilson’s One Nation-Liberal Coalition wants to scrap projects like this – putting jobs at risk and pushing power bills up.”
The site is also set to feature two battery energy storage systems, each with a capacity of 300MW, to store renewable power for release during peak demand periods.
The development is expected to create nearly 950 jobs during construction, alongside permanent employment opportunities once operational.
The proposed wind farm will be located on around 26,000 hectares of agricultural land to the west of Warracknabeal, with sites situated 5km north-west and 8km south-west of the town.
Victoria Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny said: “We are delivering more energy that will help lower power bills.
“The Liberals want to cut renewable energy projects like this – that means cutting jobs and pushing power bills up.”
The Warracknabeal Energy Park has completed Victoria’s Environment Effects Statement process, which includes technical assessments, community engagement and a public inquiry.
WestWind Energy remains in the process of securing further planning and permitting approvals, as required by state regulations.
State authorities have highlighted the role of large-scale renewable projects in reaching Victoria’s renewable energy targets of 65% by 2030 and 95% by 2035.
