VicGrid sets stricter standards for wind farm developers after Corangamite council cites “minimal and last minute” consultation

As approval of the Mumblin Wind Farm between Cobden and Timboon draws criticism from Corangamite Shire Council, the state’s renewable energy rollout coordinator says new guidelines should stop future developments from working to low standards.

The background: The Department of Planning approved the eight-turbine wind farm on Curdies-Leichfield Road at Elingamite on June 26. 

• According to developer RE Future, construction will begin after “project funding was finalised” and would take one year to complete.

• First proposed in 2021, the project will generate enough electricity to power roughly 35,000 homes. 

• Under the proposed community benefit scheme, households within two kilometres of a turbine will receive annual payments once the wind farm is operational, though the amount has not been finalised.

Where did it go wrong? Corangamite Shire mayor Kate Makin told the Brolga the council had argued RE Future’s consultation with both council and the community had been “minimal and last minute”.

• She said to the council’s knowledge only two face-to-face community information sessions were held in October last year, five months after the planning application had been lodged.

🗣️ “This is not good enough,” Makin said. 

• According to Makin, state government planning guidelines call for developers to “start engagement early, give suitable opportunities for input and listen to what the public, council and other agencies have to say”.

🗣️ “They also say the developer must be prepared to change their proposal in response to stakeholder inputs.”

A better example: Makin pointed to the nearby Berrybank Wind Farm as an example of how developers could build stronger relationships with host communities.

• Developer GPG appointed a dedicated local community engagement officer and created a community engagement committee, as well as sharing a regular newsletter to locals. Traineeships and job opportunities were also offered to those in the area. 

• Neighbouring properties within two kilometres of the wind farm had the option to voluntarily sign a deed to ensure compensation for the impact of the turbines during their construction and operation.

🗣️  “Effective, considered community engagement is fundamental to generating community support and increasing a developer's social licence to operate,” Makin said.

Would this fly under VicGrid’s new rules? Acting VicGrid chief executive Adele McCarthy said communities hosting renewable energy at any scale “deserved to be treated with respect and to have access to information”.

🗣️ “Many developers are doing the right thing, but we have also seen cases where communities have expressed concerns about developer behaviour,” she told the Brolga. 

Level playing field: VicGrid said it would encourage all renewable developers, regardless of size or which network they are connecting to, to ensure that their engagement is consistent with the guideline and hold them accountable.

🗣️ “Our new Community Engagement and Social Value Guidelines guidelines make clear the standard of engagement and benefit sharing developers will need to meet if they want to connect to the grid in Victoria,” McCarthy said.