Engaging communities in Australia's renewable energy transition

WSP is providing strategic communications and engagement services to support our client, Wind Prospect, to establish meaningful and long-lasting relationships with the communities surrounding three of its renewable energy projects.

Successful renewable energy projects depend on productive collaboration with a vast range of stakeholders. These include developers, landholders, local communities and businesses, First Nations peoples and Traditional Owners, local and state governments, and a range of consultants and contractors.

Wind Prospect recognises that renewable energy projects can take several years to progress through development and planning. It encourages community engagement and benefit sharing from a very early phase.

Developing early rapport with a broad range of stakeholders and members of affected communities allows issues and priorities to be identified quickly. With better understanding of a project’s stakeholders, the development can be designed to avoid or mitigate impacts and maximise shared financial benefits and positive socioeconomic outcomes.

Our client is genuinely committed to contributing to the fabric of the surrounding communities, and respects that the longer-term vision of benefit sharing should be shaped by the needs and desires of each community.

Some of the key initiatives associated with these three projects include community sponsorship funds, community benefits funds and neighbour benefit-sharing programs.

Three projects our team is supporting

The proposed Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm in South Australia was announced to the community in mid-2022. And an initial concept design for the development of up to 85 turbines was released in late 2023. Technical, environmental and social assessments are now underway in preparation for a development application.

The proposed Brinkworth Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and Solar Farm in South Australia was announced to the community in April 2023 by Akaysha Energy and Wind Prospect. The project is located in a predominantly agricultural area, with minimal renewable energy projects close to the proposed site.

Location

South Australia - Australia
Western Australia, Australia

Client

Wind Prospect

The proposed Twin Hills Wind Farm in Western Australia would comprise up to 140 turbines on cleared agricultural land in a sparsely populated area with a high wind resource and good proximity to existing transmission infrastructure. Wind Prospect has drawn on our previous experience managing engagement in rural, sparsely populated areas to find the most efficient and suitable methods to reach near neighbours and local residents.

Specialist support strengthens projects and communities

For each of these projects, our team is helping our client to develop an ongoing positive relationship with the local community and stakeholders through communications and engagement advice and support.

Steps include:

developing community and stakeholder engagement plans
drafting introductory letters
delivering project information and updates in multiple formats for different channels (print, online, etc.)
facilitating meetings and community information sessions
supporting our client with management of sensitive conversations with impacted, community members and in-person engagement
documenting community enquiries and feedback, and
drafting responses to challenging community concerns or questions.

We have assisted in implementing community sponsorship fund initiatives with great success for the Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm and the Brinkworth Solar Farm and Battery projects, with community organisations proactively engaging with the projects to fund small activities that would otherwise have been difficult to finance.

Examples of these include Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm contributing to the Terowie Christmas Pageant, or the sponsorship by Akaysha Energy and Wind Prospect of nets behind the goal posts at Brinkworth Oval.

Our community and engagement team’s work with Wind Prospect on these three projects are examples of how we are contributing to a faster, fairer transition to a net zero future.

Treating host communities with fairness, honesty, and transparency, and implementing practical measures that leave lasting social value are crucial investments in strengthening Australia’s renewable energy sector. And that’s good for all of us, and for the generations to come.