Download the PDF newsletter here: Mallee Wind Farm – Community Newsletter #8 – April 2026

Overview

The Mallee Wind Farm is a proposed renewable energy project located in the Wentworth Shire Local Government Area, approximately 16 km north-east of Buronga.

Developed by Spark Renewables, the project would have a generation capacity of 400 MW, co-located with a 100 MW battery energy storage system (BESS). The site is located on flat, cleared land with a strong wind resource and is well positioned to generate, store, and dispatch electricity to the National Electricity Market.

• Equivalent to supplying electricity to over 200,000 households
• Up to 225 jobs during peak construction and around 30 ongoing jobs during operations
• $420,000 annually in direct payments to community and council funds (based on 400 MW capacity)

Planning Update

The Mallee Wind Farm is a State Significant Development under NSW planning legislation and requires a rigorous planning and assessment process that ensures environmental, social, and economic impacts are properly considered. Following the lodgement of a formal ‘Response to Submissions’ and an ‘Amendment Report’ for Mallee Wind Farm in April 2026, the project is now under assessment by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI). We will continue to provide updates as the project progresses.

Find the project Response to Submissions and Amendment Report on the NSW Planning Portal for Major Projects by visiting this page.

Community consultation

Consultation for the Mallee Wind Farm project commenced in August 2022 with the announcement of the project and our first information sessions. We engaged closely with key stakeholders to better understand matters important to the local community.

The project’s Environmental Impact Statement was on public exhibition between 13 November and 10 December 2024, receiving 140 submissions. There were 30 submissions from stakeholders within 100 kilometres from the project. Further information was requested about the project impacts and management plans, with no objections raised by the local council or government agencies.

Interest in Project Impacts

There were 61 public submissions that identified specific environmental, social and economic impacts of the project. Most of these related to various social impacts (44%); followed by questions about management of traffic, waste and water use (24%); protection of biodiversity (23%); and planning for aviation and bushfire safety (9%).

Upcoming Events

Spark Renewables is committed to open and ongoing engagement with the community throughout the development of the Mallee Wind Farm. We value the opportunity to meet with local residents and community groups to share project information, answer questions, and hear community feedback to understand the ongoing concerns and learn about benefit sharing opportunities. Our project team will continue to attend local community events where we host an information stall and provide updates on the project.

You can visit Spark Renewables’ information stall at:
– Mildura Field Days on 15-16 May 2026
– Wentworth Show on 29-30 August 2026

Community Benefit Sharing

Consistent with the NSW Benefit Sharing Guideline, the project would contribute $1,050 per MW each year during construction and operations. Spark Renewables is currently engaging with the Wentworth Shire Council, community and First Nations organisations to co-design a benefit-sharing program to create lasting social value for the community.