Huge wind and battery project becomes first to seal local benefits deal under rigorous new planning regime

The developers of a major new wind farm proposed for construction in Queensland’s Western Downs region alongside a 2,400 megawatt-hour battery have sealed a crucial deal with the local council, ticking off a key requirement of rigorous state planning rules for renewable energy projects.

Goombi Energy Holdings, a partnership between LP Renewable Projects and TagEnergy, said on Thursday that it has struck a deal with Western Downs Council to invest $30 million over 35 years into the community in return for its hosting of the proposed 800 megawatt (MW) Goombi wind farm.

The deal – officially known as Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) – marks an first for a wind farm under the planning framework put in place by Queensland’s LNP government in May, 2025. The first CBA for a large-scale solar project in Queensland was signed around a week ago.

Queensland strict new rules for wind and solar projects, and also for batteries, require proponents to sign binding CBAs with councils before lodging planning applications. Social impact assessments must also be done beforehand to inform a portion of those agreements. 

The new rules were cautiously welcomed by some community advocates who said they would give community members more of an opportunity to weigh in on projects being proposed for development near them, before a planning application is lodged. 

But others cautioned that signing a deal before a project has gone into the planning process, a system designed to temper and test plans against government policies and protocols, will result in cookie-cutter funds that don’t reflect the reality of a project.

Concerns were also raised over the impact of the new rules on wind projects, which have felt the brunt of the change in policy temperature in Queensland, where the focus has switched to propping up coal, investing in new gas power and pushing ahead with select pumped hydro projects.

State planning minister Jarrod Bleijie has used the new rules to retrospectively bin at least one state-approved wind project – the 450 MW Moonlight Range wind farm that was proposed for construction 40 km west of Rockhampton.

Another two wind farms – as well as two stand alone battery projects – remain in limbo on Bleijie’s ministerial call-in list, where the project’s potential social and environmental impacts are being reassessed.

The Goombi wind project proposes to install 107 turbines just west of Chinchilla and 600 MW, four-hour battery – making it one of the largest in the country if built now, and the biggest associated with any wind complex to date.

In a statement on Thursday, LP Renewable Projects (LPRP) Director, Llion Parry, thanked the Western Downs Regional Council for helping the project to “navigate through this new and evolving regulatory landscape.”

“We are proud to be developing the Goombi Wind Farm and are delighted to see the enormous benefits renewable energy projects can have for regional communities,” Parry said.

“Directly investing $30 million into initiatives that have been identified by the local community demonstrates the hugely positive impacts that renewable energy projects can provide.”

Andrew Riggs, managing partner of Australia for TagEnergy – the Portugal-based company that owns Australia’s biggest wind farm – says renewables projects should create “real and enduring value” for regional communities. 

“The Goombi Wind Farm will contribute significant new renewable energy capacity to Queensland’s electricity network while supporting long-term investment and opportunities for the Western Downs,” he said.

Western Downs Regional Council Mayor, Andrew Smith, said the agreement reflected the region’s “important role” in the energy transition and represents a meaningful commitment to communities that host energy infrastructure.

“It will provide long-term support for local initiatives while helping ensure the region continues to play a leading role in Queensland’s energy future,” Smith said.

TagEnergy owns the Golden Plains wind farm in Victoria, already the biggest in the country and currently in the process of building a second stage that would take its capacity to 1.33 gigawatts. It will buy the Goombi project once it’s finished.

According to the EPBC referral for Goombi, lodged in January, the developer LP Renewables is proposing to cover a 14,175 hectare (ha) patch of land with turbines and the battery, although only 1,240 ha of this will be disturbed. 

And it’s proposing to start this in the third quarter of 2027, with construction to finish in 2030.

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