Community
Doing it right by the global communities we serve
Wind farms can deliver a wide range of community benefits in regional areas. These benefits include:
- Positive effect on the local economy through increased demand for local goods and services during the feasibility, construction, and operation phases of development.
- The creation of temporary employment demand during the construction phase of the development; and permanent jobs during the lifetime of the wind farm.
- Contribution to the Federal Government’s expanded Renewable Energy Target (RET) of 20% by 2020.
- Additional energy supply to help meet the growing demands across NSW and the Eastern seaboard.
Community Consultative Committee
The purpose of a community consultative committee is to provide a forum for open discussion between representatives of the company, the community, the council and other stakeholders on issues directly relating to the Project’s operations, environmental performance and community relations, and to keep the community informed on these matters.
The Bango Wind Farm Community Consultative Committee was established in 2013. Members include:
- CWP Renewables representatives
- Thomas McGrath, Host landowner
- John McGrath, Host landowner
- Jayne Apps, Community representative
- Andrew Winterflood, Community representative
- Terry Sellwood, Community representative,
- Wendy Tuckerman, Councillor, Hilltops Council
- Geoff Frost, Councillor, Yass Valley Council
- Lisa Andrews, Committee chair
CCC Minutes are available for download:
Community Benefits Fund
A Community Benefits Fund has been established in the form of a Voluntary Planning Agreement with both Yass Valley Council and Hilltops Council.
The Project will contribute $2,825 per turbine installed to these funds each year for every year of operations.
The funds will be split between the two councils according to the number of turbines installed within each local government area. Community groups will have the opportunity to apply for this funding for community enhancement projects. Initiatives will be evaluated based on their relative merits, on their vicinity to the wind farm and on their accordance with council’s Community Plan.
Landowner opportunity – Environmental offsets
An environmental offset will be established for Bango Wind Farm to offset the environmental impacts associated with construction and operation of the project. Offset areas will be located in and around the project area and will be set aside and managed for conservation.
In NSW the preferred environmental offset mechanism is the Biodiversity Banking Offset Scheme (BioBanking) operated by the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH). BioBanking brings together landowners who have native vegetation and fauna on their property and project developers.
By participating in the BioBanking scheme, a landowner can benefit from a guaranteed income stream to permanently set aside and manage one or more selected areas of land for conservation. Opportunities also exist for landowners to sell land with the relevant biodiversity values, which would be set aside under the BioBanking scheme.
Click on the links below to download a 2 page summary of what BioBanking is all about and a checklist of vegetation communities we are looking for. If you think you have some suitable land, please send the form back to us (post/fax/email) and we’ll be in touch!
Newsletters and Updates
Newsletters provide the broader community with updates at key Project milestones.
Benefits to Wind Farm Host Communities
A recent study by the Australian Wind Alliance has found that communities that host wind farms can expect significant rewards. The “Building Stronger Communities” report outlines the financial and social benefits currently enjoyed by the communities that host the 82 operational wind farms in Australia today.
Bango Wind Farm will be no different. Project construction is expected to create 150 fulltime equivalent jobs, with a local spending stimulus of over $4 million during the construction period. Over its 25-year operational life, the wind farm will contribute approximately $12 million to Yass Valley and Hilltops Councils through rate returns and Community Enhancement Funds, which will be used to fund local community projects. It is also expected that ten fulltime jobs will be created to oversee maintenance and ongoing operations of the wind farm.
Building Stronger Communities Report
Bango Wind Farm Economic Impact Report.