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.
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.
These topics were mostly raised as part of the formal consultation process of the development application via the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) for the Mallee Wind Farm. In response, further investigations including biodiversity, water resource, and aviation assessments; transport and landscape studies; and heritage documentation were completed as part of the Submissions Report and Amendment Report for the Mallee Wind Farm which were lodged with DPHI in April 2026.
Ongoing consultation with the local community and government agencies will inform management strategies for issues raised, including:
- Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan
- Biodiversity Management Plan
- Bird and Bat Adaptive Management Plan
- Bush Fire and Emergency Management Operations Plan
- Community plans (benefit-sharing, engagement, accommodation, employment, industry and Aboriginal participation)
- Construction management plans (noise and vibration, soil and water, traffic and transport)
- Decommissioning and Rehabilitation Plan
- Erosion and Sediment Control Plan
- Operational Environmental Management Plan
For a more detailed update on the Mallee Wind Farm development application progress, you can read the latest community newsletter or sign up to project news.
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.”