Victoria approves biggest wind farm in Southern Hemisphere

Wind farm turbines with sun in background and long wild grass in foreground
Image: Shutterstock

Victoria’s Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny has given state environmental approval for the Warracknabeal Energy Park—set to be the biggest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere.

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The proposed 219-turbine wind farm is being developed by WestWind Energy and will deliver more than 1.5GW of renewable energy—enough to power up to 1.2 million homes.

Located near the town of Warracknabeal, the project will span 26,000ha of agricultural land across two sites.

The Warracknabeal Energy Park has gone through Victoria’s rigorous EES process, including technical studies, community consultation, and a public inquiry.

Further approvals are still required before a final decision is made, including Commonwealth approval under national environmental laws.

Minister Kilkenny said, “This is a major step towards delivering the biggest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere, right here in Victoria.

“This rigorous EES (Environment Effects Statement) process has shown this project can go ahead while meeting Victoria’s environmental standards.”

Related article: Council drops legal appeal against Hills of Gold Wind Farm

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