Spark Renewables is proud to sponsor the annual Wentworth Show, held on the last weekend of August each year at the Wentworth Showgrounds. The Show is a much-loved community event that brings together local businesses, producers, exhibitors and competitors from across the region, with plenty of opportunities to celebrate locally grown produce, skills and achievements. You can view the full program of events taking place across Saturday and Sunday here.
For the Spark Renewables development team, the Wentworth Show is also an important opportunity to spend time in the community and have conversations about the proposed Mallee Wind Farm.
“My family has a farm in Victoria, so country shows are very familiar to me. The Wentworth Show is one of my favourite events to attend each year as part of the development team. It gives us the opportunity to enjoy a great local event while speaking directly with community members about the proposed Mallee Wind Farm.” Claudia Nance, Development Officer
Visitors are welcome to stop by the Spark Renewables stall to meet the team, view project materials and ask questions about the proposed Mallee Wind Farm.
Ahead of the Show, we are also inviting community members to submit any questions, comments or topics they would like to discuss with our team. You can share yours in advance via this form:
Spark Renewables is a proud sponsor of the Chances for Children scholarships, including the “Keeping Kids at Secondary School” program, which supports students in their final years of secondary school to complete their education, and the “Tertiary Scholarship” program, which assists young people aged 24 and under to pursue further study or apprenticeships after leaving school.
For the fourth year, Spark Renewables participated in the 2026 Mildura Field Days, where our team had the opportunity to speak with local residents, students, teachers, businesses, industry representatives and community organisations about the proposed 400 MW Mallee Wind Farm, located approximately 16 km north-east of Buronga in New South Wales and 17 km north-east of Mildura, Victoria.
The Mildura Field Days provided a valuable opportunity to host a pop-up stall, share information about the project, hear directly from the community, and better understand local priorities, questions and opportunities.
Over the two days, more than 70 locals from Mildura and the broader Mallee region visited our stall.
We asked about their sentiment towards the Mallee Wind Farm and found that views were overwhelmingly positive toward the Mallee Wind Farm project – with 65% of respondents saying they were either “supportive”, “positive”, “collaborative”, “interested” or “curious”. Another 21% of respondents said they were “neutral” and the remainder 14% expressed “mixed”, “skeptical” or “negative” views.
Source: Survey at the Mildura Field Days
Local interest and community conversations
Many community members stopped by the Spark Renewables stand to view project maps, collect newsletters, and learn more about the proposed Mallee Wind Farm. Several residents expressed support for renewable energy investment in the region and were interested in the potential economic and community benefits associated with the project.
There was also strong interest in biodiversity and environmental considerations. Attendees asked thoughtful questions about bird flight paths, the project’s proximity to Mallee Cliffs National Park, turbine visibility and decommissioning.
Several attendees working in energy and infrastructure also raised practical questions about transport logistics, road access, transmission infrastructure and powerline considerations.
Opportunities for local businesses and contractors
Many businesses, including transport, crane, earthmoving, concrete, and civil construction, were interested in participating in renewable energy projects more broadly, asking about future supplier, tendering and partnership opportunities. Local contractors expressed interest in potential balance-of-plant works, civil packages, concrete supply and transport services.
> Anyone interested in registering their interest in supplier and service provider opportunities can sign up here.
Education, training and research connections
The Mildura Field Days also created opportunities to connect with educators and researchers interested in future classroom engagement opportunities and potential collaboration with Spark Renewables.
Students were interested in learning technical facts about wind turbines and wind energy and asked practical questions.
“Our team regularly presents to students studying electrical trades at TAFE locations to support their learning and industry awareness, and we are excited to have been invited to visit the Sunraysia Institute of TAFE in Mildura later this year.”
~400 MW wind farm with up to 76 wind turbinesStandalone battery 100 MW / 200 MWh
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)
Mallee Wind Farm proposed project boundary and investigation area
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%).
Source: Mallee Wind Farm Response to Submissions (April 2026)
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.
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.
The Mallee Wind Farm is a proposed renewable energy project located in the Wentworth Local Government Area, approximately 16 km north-east of Buronga.
Overview
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.
400 MW wind farm with up to 76 turbines (up to 280-metre tip height)
100 MW BESS, with capacity to supply 200 MWh
Equivalent to supplying electricity to over 200,000 households
Up to 225 jobs during peak construction and around 30 ongoing roles
$420,000 annually in direct payments to community and council funds
Environmental Assessments
The Mallee Wind Farm is planned to be built on open, cropped land to minimise potential impacts on biodiversity. Detailed biodiversity surveys and on-ground monitoring activities have continued across the project area to identify threatened species and inform responsible project planning in line with regulatory requirements.
Community Engagement and Partnerships
Throughout 2025, Spark Renewables engaged with the Wentworth Shire Council, landholders, and neighbouring residents through meetings and public events, including the Mildura Field Day and the Wentworth Show. These engagements helped shape benefit-sharing initiatives aligned with local priorities.
Spark Renewables also participated in the Cultivating Change: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Roundtable hosted by La Trobe University’s Mildura Campus, exploring opportunities to support sustainable agricultural development in the region.
Community Benefit Sharing
In line with theNSW Benefit Sharing Guideline, Spark Renewables is committed to providing $1,050 per MW annually over the project’s 35-year lifespan. For a 400 MW wind farm, this would result in $420,000 per year, shared across four proposed funds:
Council Projects Fund (75%)
Community Benefit Fund (10%)
Independent Aboriginal Community Fund (10%)
Independent Scholarship and Youth Fund (5%)
Planning Update
The Mallee Wind Farm is a State Significant Development under NSW planning legislation. Public exhibition of the Environmental Impact Statement was completed in November 2024.
Spark Renewables is currently preparing a Submissions Report, responding to key matters raised during exhibition, with further information on road upgrades, biodiversity, and cultural heritage. The Response to Submissions is expected in early 2026.
Find the project Environmental Impact Statement on the NSW Planning Portal for Major Projects by visiting this page.
This is a voluntary set of commitments that clean energy developers uphold when planning, building, and operating renewable energy projects. There are more than 50 signatories, representing nearly all major renewable energy developers in Australia.
This is the second year of reporting, and the submissions for this year show the industry continuing to raise the bar for responsible development in regional Australia.
Spark Renewables is proud to be part of an industry that engages meaningfully with local communities and First Nations groups, addresses environmental and agricultural concerns, and works to deliver lasting benefits for landholders and regional communities.
Signatories to the Charter are committed to minimising impacts on quality agricultural land and exploring opportunities for co-existence between renewable energy and farming. The reports highlight a range of locally adapted approaches that support both clean energy generation and agricultural productivity. At Bomen Solar Farm, Spark Renewables is currently supporting a three-year research project led by Charles Sturt University to identify the ideal pasture mix that thrives under solar panels, supports quality grazing land, and reduces fire risk.
The signatories’ submissions reflect a continued commitment to respectful engagement – consulting early and often, remaining sensitive to areas of high biodiversity, cultural and landscape value, and to responsible land stewardship over the lifetime of a project, including waste recycling and decommissioning. This year’s reports demonstrate a more deliberate, science-informed, and locally sensitive approach to managing environmental impacts across construction, operations and at the project end-of-life.
One of our earlier partnerships in this field – with a leading solar panel recycling and resource recovery company PV Industries – is proving successful in finding sustainable end-of-life solutions for solar panels. At their new facility launch last week, the team demonstrated how solar panels can be processed to recover materials such as silver.
Read the summary and view the published reports and over 400 examples showcasing how renewable energy projects are delivering real, often unseen benefits for local communities and the environment across Australia here.
For the second year in a row, Spark Renewables will hold an information stall for the Mallee Wind Farm project at the Wentworth Show.
Spark Renewables is proud to be the platinum sponsor of the 2025 Wentworth Show. You are welcome to visit our stall and meet the Spark Renewables team, view materials and ask questions about the Mallee Wind Farm located approximately 16 km north-east of Buronga, in the Wentworth Local Government Area.
Location, date & time: Wentworth Showgrounds ?Pavilion Road, Wentworth 2648 NSW ?️ 30-31 August 2025 ⌚ 9am to 4pm
You can also contact us about having a one-on-one meeting via info@malleewindfarm.com or 1300 271 419.
Development update
As State Significant Development, the Mallee Wind Farm project required an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which was submitted to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure in November 2024. A summary of the Mallee Wind Farm EIS is also included in the Project Factsheet.
We are now preparing a Response to Submissions with feedback to submissions posted to the EIS. Some of the key matters raised include:
Wind turbine transport route
Biodiversity
cultural heritage
Aviation
Visual amenity
The wind farm is part of the Mallee Energy Hub, which is being developed by Spark Renewables. We develop, own and operate renewable energy generation assets that lead the renewable energy transition in Australia. Spark Renewables has a large and diversified portfolio of operational and development stage wind, solar and storage assets across Australia including the operational Bomen Solar Farm near Wagga Wagga, NSW.
Spark Renewables will hold an information stall for the Mallee Wind Farm project at the Mildura Field Days.
Development update
The project is part of the Mallee Energy Hub developed by Spark Renewables, and is located approximately 16 km north-east of Buronga, in the Wentworth Local Government Area.
As a State Significant Development, the Mallee Wind Farm project required a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to be submitted to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI).
An EIS for the Mallee Wind Farm was lodged with DPHI in 2024. A summary of Mallee Wind Farm EIS is also included in the Project Factsheet.
We are now preparing a Response to Submissions with feedback to submissions posted to the EIS.
Information stall at the Mildura Field Days
You are welcome to drop in to our stall to meet the Spark Renewables team, view materials and ask questions about the Response to Submissions prepared for the Mallee Wind Farm. We are hosting a face-to-face session at:
? Location: Mildura Racecourse, 53 Racecourse Road, Nichols Point ? Date: 16-17 May 2025 ? Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
If you wish to set up a one-on-one meeting or call with Spark Renewables, please email info@malleewindfarm.com or leave a voicemail at 1300 271 419.
Information Session – Mallee Wind Farm Environmental Impact Statement
Spark Renewables is holding a community consultation session for the Mallee Wind Farm project, which reached an important milestone.
The project is part of the Mallee Energy Hub developed by Spark Renewables, and is located approximately 16 km north-east of Buronga, in the Wentworth Local Government Area.
As a State Significant Development, the Mallee Wind Farm requires a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to be submitted to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI).
An EIS for the Mallee Wind Farm was lodged with DPHI in November 2024, and is available for view and comment from Wednesday, 13 November until Tuesday, 10 December 2024. A summary of Mallee Wind Farm EIS studies is also included in the Project Factsheet.
Information session at the Midway Centre
You are welcome to drop in to our information session at any time to meet the Spark Renewables team, view materials and ask questions about the EIS prepared for the Mallee Wind Farm. We are hosting a face-to-face session at:
? Location: Midway Centre, 6 Midway Drive, Buronga ? Date: 28 November 2024 ? Time: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
If you wish to set up a one-on-one meeting or call with Spark Renewables, please email info@malleewindfarm.com or leave a voicemail at 1300 271 419.
This is just a quick note to say a huge thank you to everyone who stopped by the Spark Renewables stall to learn about the Mallee Energy Hub over the weekend at the Wentworth Show.
Our Project Lead, Laurie Wallis, and Development Team Engineer, Alejandra Mora, were thrilled to meet and chat with so many enthusiastic showgoers and spoke to over a hundred people.
“It was one of the busiest consultations session I ever conducted.”
Laurie Wallis, Project Lead of the Mallee Energy Hub
There’s no better place to experience the love of country produce than at a country show. We were impressed by the perfect oranges, hearty pumpkins and extraordinary sausages all on display.
Spark Renewables sponsored the 2024 Wentworth Show, putting up free shuttle buses from McLeod Oval to the Showgrounds.
We would also like to thank Umwelt Environmental and Social Consultants for their comprehensive overview and findings from our recent studies, which are compiled in a factsheet here.
