Hills of Gold wind farm wins state development consent – and fight to reinstate turbines

The Hills of Gold wind farm proposed for near Nundle in the New England region of New South Wales, has once again been cleared for development by state planning authorities, this time as a 62 turbine project totaling 372MW and with a 100MW battery.

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 a recent ABC 4 Corners investigation into wind planning issues.

Hills of Gold first won approval from the state government planning department late last year, 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.

Two months later, the IPC has reached a decision.

“The Panel has today, 9 September 2024, granted development consent to the Hills of Gold Wind Farm, subject to strict conditions,” it said on Monday.

“The Hills of Gold Wind Farm as approved by the Commission has 62 turbines, a 100 MW battery energy storage system, 330 kilovolt transmission line and other associated ancillary infrastructure.

“This State significant development is expected to create up to 211 construction jobs and 28 operational jobs. It is also expected to generate enough renewable energy to power up to 150,000 homes and make a material contribution towards meeting the NSW government’s net zero targets and renewable energy objectives.

“The Commission acknowledges the widespread and deeply held views in the community about the project, and the impact of the extended consultation and determination process.”

As Renew Economy has reported, the Hills of Gold planning approval 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.

Engie had said that the removal of the turbine situated near the “phantom dwelling” – produced via a relatively easy to obtain Complying Development Certificate (CDC) – would set a “dangerous precedent” for other proposed wind farm developments in NSW. There are more than 22,000 MW of wind projects in the pipeline.

In its final determination, the IPC says offering the landowner the option to have their property acquired by Engie allows the project to proceed
while providing “an objectively robust mitigation measure” against the visual impacts of nearby turbines.

The IPC has also imposed conditions requiring Engie to – if requested – implement landscaping and vegetation screening for residences within 5km of any wind turbine.

“The Commission finds that on balance, the likely benefits of the 62 turbine Project warrant the conclusion that an appropriately conditioned approval is in the public interest,” the IPC says in its Statement of Reasons.

“The Commission is of the view that this [wind farm] would facilitate social and economic benefits for the wider community and for the State of NSW,” it says.

“The Commission also finds that the project would contribute to the orderly transition from traditional coal and gas fired power generation to power generation with lower emissions and would assist in meeting Australia’s and NSW’s target of net zero emissions by 2050.”

Engie Australia’s managing director of renewables, Laura Caspari, says the IPC’s decision reflects years of hard work, by the project team as well as by the state government and local and community stakeholders.

“Achieving this milestone 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 a statement.

“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.

“Hills of Gold 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,” Caspari said.

Hills of Gold is still awaiting a determination from the federal government, which is assessing the project under the federal government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.