General News
23 May, 2026
Energy park concerns: local response to Wind farm environmental approval
LAST week’s announcement from the State Government of the approval of the Environment Effects Statement for the Warracknabeal Energy Park has brought a strong reaction from the Yarriambiack Shire Council, with the publishing of a four-page media release.
The planned 219-turbine wind farm would cover about 26,000 hectares of land – some of the area getting as close as about five kilometres to the town – and the Shire wanted to reinforce “the importance of community voice, fairness, and long-term regional benefit.”
Mayor Andrew McLean said the council was formally advised late on Friday evening.
“Council was notified via email at 5.23pm on Friday that the Minister for Planning generally supports the findings and recommendations of the Inquiry,” he said.
“Shortly afterwards, the project proponent released its own statement, followed by a State Government media release the next morning.”
Yarriambiack’s statement covered multiple topics, including rating its advocacy success during the EES process and listing wins, partial wins, mixed outcomes, and unsuccessful outcomes.
There was also a section on ongoing community concerns with the project.
A major point from Mr McLean was the rejection of a “fragmented, project-by-project approach”, potentially dealing with this and significant mineral sands mining developments, bringing combined pressures.
“This scale of change brings significant challenges,” he said.
“It is vital that cumulative impacts are properly managed, and that there is coordinated planning.”
The statement also noted where the planning minister, Sonya Kilkenny, “generally adopted the Inquiry’s recommendations”, but also detailed two important areas where the minister did not.
“The Minister did not support mandatory full-height marking of meteorological masts, leaving this to be determined by the proponent in consultation with relevant agencies,” the statement said.
“The Minister did not require formal approval of the full Environmental Management Framework, instead leaving the implementation of mitigation measures to be resolved through statutory approvals.”
The Council also addressed the perceived disparity between corporate gains and local infrastructure needs, such as insisting on financial safeguards (decommissioning bonds) and legislative reform to protect intergenerational farmland.
“The State Government has earmarked our Shire and region to play a critical role in Victoria’s energy transition, and it is only fair that the benefits are realised and reinvested locally in a meaningful and lasting way,” Mr McLean said.
Minyip farmer Ryan Milgate will take on the Victorian Farmers Federation president’s role on June 2, and said the organisation had a general view the public consultation process for projects seeking to use agricultural land for alternative purposes needed significant improvement – with so much at stake, the step was crucial.
“The whole community engagement part has been really challenging, and I don't think they’ve anywhere near got (it) right yet,” he said.
“(Australian Energy Infrastructure commissioner) Tony Maher’s saying that nationally – he's right in the trenches on this now – and he's realised that the whole engagement process has been terrible.
“You know, if something's not working and you keep forging ahead, it's generally not going to make it any better.
“We understand we've got members that want [to address] either side of the argument here.
“The core thing is the rural communities and the engagement.”
Mr Milgate said his major concern was how the project ultimately benefits the community once all the factors have been considered, including indirect effects such as social cohesion and the flow-on effect on agricultural activity.
“Whether someone's got a turbine or not is sort of a side issue when you're starting to tear apart these regional communities that rely on everyone, because there's not enough people around as it is,” he said.
“We need everyone to be working together, and it's just not happening – and it's kind of feels like government and big companies are coming in and just driving a wedge between everyone, and it's just not ending well.
“We've all heard of family feuds that started two generations ago over a boundary fence. Well, you know, this is a bloody fair bit bigger than a boundary fence disagreement.”
He also said the optics of the timing of the release of the EES approval so close to a weekend would not helped the scepticism of regional communities.
“There's a lot of concern that issues that were raised in the EES process may or may not have been dealt with appropriately,” Mr Milgate said.
“Generally, Friday night or a Saturday, if you get media releases ... you sort of feel like they're trying to hide something or just trying to push it through without maybe the scrutiny it would have got on a Monday morning.”
The full statement from Yarriambiack Shire Council can be read online at bit.ly/4tRRMuX, and the planning minister’s page on the project and the EES approval at bit.ly/3RgTmZB.
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