New wind farm approved in Western Downs

Around 400 construction jobs and 35 ongoing jobs will be created from early 2020 with work starting on yet another multi-million-dollar renewable energy project in southwest Queensland.

Fifty six wind turbines have been approved for the $450 million Renewable Energy Systems wind farm project at Dulacca, 250km northwest of Toowoomba.

Renewable Energy Systems development project manager Llion Parry said construction of the wind farm would begin in early 2020 and be fully operational by 2021.

“The wind farm development approval is a significant milestone for the project and we are excited to bring a renewable energy project of this scale to the Western Downs region,” he said in a public statement. “The site for the wind farm was chosen due to its excellent wind resource, proximity to the transmission network, and low environmental impact.”

Queensland Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said the wind farm would produce around 240 megawatts of power for the Western Downs.

“Our government is invested in strengthening regional economies,” he said. “This project will help with the continued economic diversification of Dulacca, stimulating job growth during both construction and operation.”

In addition to the turbines, the proposed development will also involve associated infrastructure such as a substation, meteorology masts, overhead lines and access tracks.

State Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said the Dulacca project followed the $48 million Baking Board solar farm at Chinchilla and $217 million Darling Downs solar farm, which started operating on the Western Downs late 2018, and another five south-west renewable energy projects either committed or underway.

“This is yet another project generating jobs and renewable energy for Queensland, as we transition steadily towards our target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030,” he said.

Renewable Energy Systems is also investigating the possibility of developing a solar farm on the site. This is subject to a separate development application process and does not form part of this approval.