General News
2 September, 2025
Submissions open for energy farm
Submissions for the Warracknabeal Energy Park Environmental Effects Study are now open to the public and will be until September 30, 2025.
The EES is a primary milestone in the project approval process and must consider all submissions lodged by the public before initiating the next stage.
Submissions can be made through the Engage Victoria Website.
The Warracknabeal Energy Park Pty Ltd is a subsidiary of West Wind Energy Pty Ltd.
It is proposing to construct a wind farm consisting of up to 230 wind turbines with a maximum blade tip height of 280 metres above ground level and an installed capacity of 1650 MW, making it one of Australia's largest wind farms, capable of supplying enough electricity to meet 12.5% of Victoria's energy needs.
The project's website indicates that it will be situated on approximately 26,000 hectares of agricultural land to the west of Warracknabeal, across two sites: one 5 km northwest and the other 8 km southwest.
The proposed project includes two on-site substations with battery energy storage systems, which would be connected through a combination of about 282 km of underground cabling and approximately 21 km of overhead power lines joining the project's Northern Section to the Southern Section.
The project will be on display for the public from Monday, August 18, to Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
Warracknabeal Energy Park Pty Ltd has prepared a consultation plan, outlining the opportunities and approaches for community engagement during the preparation of the EES. The plan may be updated as required, and the revised version posted on its web page.
The scoping requirements set out the matters to be investigated and documented in the EES.
Draft scoping requirements for this EES were on public exhibition between August 23, 2024, and September 16, 2024.
After considering public submissions on the draft scoping requirements, the Minister for Planning issued the final scoping requirements in December 2024.
"In Victoria, the setback distance between a wind turbine and neighbouring dwelling is 1 km".
"Homes can still be approved within this setback distance if the landowner, wind farm operator, and local council agree on how to manage any impacts from the wind farm, including minimising noise and shadow flicker impacts."
West Wind Energy encourages anyone intending to build on their land inside a buffer zone to contact the company.
The project proposes connecting to the Murra Warra terminal station via about 13 km of overhead transmission line.
This section of transmission line is proposed to run adjacent to the existing 220 kilovolt (kV) Horsham to Red Cliffs high-voltage electricity transmission line.
Several access roads would also be upgraded and constructed for the project.
The proposed project is expected to have an operational life of 25 years, following a four- to five-year construction period.
The government organisations represented on the project's technical reference group include the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, the Department of Transport and Planning, Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, First Peoples, State Relations, Heritage Victoria, Environment Protection Authority, Victoria, Wimmera Catchment Management Authority, and the Yarriambiack Shire Council.