Delburn wind farm edges closer to construction in Latrobe Valley pine plantation

The 205MW Delburn Wind Farm set to be built in the Strzelecki Ranges to the south of the Latrobe Valley in Victoria has received what is hoped to be the final approval for the contentious project to begin construction in the third quarter of the year.

Being developed through a joint venture between OSMI Australia and Cubico Sustainable Investments, the Delburn Wind Farm sought minor amendments to the terminal station planning permit in July 2023.

The request sought minor amendments to the wording of some conditions “to improve language and interpretation certainty” which was then sent to a planning panel by the Minister for Planning.

The panel approved the proposed amendments to the wording late last week, finding that they “do not weaken the bushfire standards set for the Delburn Terminal Station and are supported by the Country Fire Authority” and “are beneficial and will avoid future confusion about what is intended to be achieved by the conditions.”

Approval of the changes followed a visit to the proposed site of the wind farm by the planning panel and a subsequent panel hearing to listen to community submissions.

“This decision paves the way for us to start construction of the Delburn Wind Farm later in the third quarter of 2024,” said Peter Marriott, executive director of development at OSMI Australia.

“I would like to thank those members of the community who have taken the time to participate in this amendment process.”

This latest planning permit approval is potentially the final hurdle for the developers, following a series of challenges to the wind farm, including the 2020 vandalism of a meteorological mast installed at the site.

Leading the opposition to the project’s development is the Strzelecki Community Alliance (SCA), a group of “concerned residents and family members” that claim to have “united to fight the inappropriate deployment of renewable energy technologies in a unique part of Gippsland.”

After Victorian planning authorities approved construction in March 2022, the SCA then challenged the approval in court, contending that the project is proposed for development in a bushfire prone area and too close to local homes, with more than 5,000 residents living 5 kilometres from any one turbine.

Victoria’s Supreme Court dismissed the challenge, ruling in March 2023 that the planning permit for Delburn Wind Farm was valid.

The project’s developers sought minor amendments to its planning permits during 2023 which were approved in November, and with the final amendments approved to the terminal station planning permit this week, it is hoped construction will begin in the third quarter.

The Delburn Wind Farm will be the first wind farm to be built in Australia within a pine plantation. In an effort to combat potential bushfire risks, the developers are also trialling AI-based bushfire detection technology.