Hills of Gold wind farm stuck in federal green queue as Plibersek delays decision for second time

The deadline for a federal government decision on the contentious Hills of Gold wind farm, proposed for near Nundle in the New England region of New South Wales alongside a big battery, has been pushed out again – this time by another two weeks.

An update signed off late last week and published on the EPBC portal on Thursday says the relevant period in which federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek must make a decision on whether or not to approve the wind farm has been extended to March 04, 2025.

This is the second time the minister has delayed her decision on Hills of Gold – the final remaining approvals hurdle for the project – after pushing it out from mid-way through December 2024 to February 14, 2025.

The 372 megawatt (MW) Hills of Gold Wind Farm is proposed for about 5km south of Hanging Rock and 8km south-east of Nundle. It includes a 100MW battery energy storage system and a 330kV transmission line connecting to the existing transmission network at Wallabadah.  

The hotly contested project has been the centre of a bitter dispute between supporters and opponents that has dragged on for years, sparking a “Not in Nundle” campaign and featuring in an ABC 4 Corners investigation into wind planning issues.

Its journey has been closely watched by the industry, both because of its threatened derailment by the use of so-called “phantom dwellings” by its opponents, and also because planning approvals for wind projects, particularly in NSW, have been the subject of heavy delays, with only a few approved in recent years.

Hills of Gold first won approval from the state government planning department in late 2023, but the approval was for only 47 turbines, and a shrunken capacity of 290MW, down from 64 turbines in its final application and the 97 turbines originally contemplated.

The project owner, the French energy giant Engie, initially welcomed that decision, but in February applied for 15 of the 17 turbines that had been removed by the department to be reinstated, arguing that without them the project was commercially unviable.

The Independent Planning Commission – to whom the project was referred because of the high number of objections – found Engie’s argument to be supported by independent research, and resumed its assessment of the project based on a revised 62 turbine proposal in July.

In September of last year the IPC granted development consent to the Hills of Gold Wind Farm, this time as a 62 turbine project totaling 372MW and with a 100MW battery, and subject to strict conditions.

At the time, Engie welcomed the state approval as a positive sign for NSW renewables and for national efforts to act on climate change.  

“The Hills of Gold Wind Farm will take advantage of an excellent wind resource and existing transmission infrastructure, and the project’s footprint has been optimised to incorporate expert advice, community input and years of onsite surveys and assessments that ensure co-existence with grazing and biodiversity on site,” said Engie Australia’s managing director of renewables, Laura Caspari.

“This project represents $833 million in new private investment into regional NSW, nearly 400 new jobs during construction and a community benefit fund designed to deliver long-term benefits to Nundle and surrounding communities.

“Achieving this milestone [NSW state approval] shows that industry, community and authorities can address and manage the issues identified during the planning process, providing valuable lessons for future projects,” Caspari said in September.

See also: Renew Economy’s Large Scale Wind Farm Map of Australia.