January 30th, 2025Clunes to form community advocacy group
Clunes locals are keen to form a new group to ensure the community gets good ongoing benefits from the 330 megawatt Nyaninyuk windfarm proposed for just west of the township.
Acciona is looking to establish the wind farm between Evansford, Clunes and Waubra, on the western side of Mount Beckworth with the proposal now in the planning and approvals phase.
The proposed development is valued at $700 million and projected to generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 210,000 households with the Western Renewables Link power conduit route proposed to pass just south of Clunes.
In recent days Clunes community members, farmers and council representatives were among those who met to discuss the proposed development and ways to ensure the community and landholders can broker the best impact compensation deals.
One of the meeting’s several co-convenors, Malcom Hull says general consensus emerging from the meeting is around the need to form and formalise a group to advocate on behalf of the community and to negotiate with the wind farm’s developers to ensure the community receives ongoing benefits.
“It’s coming and it was started back in John Howard’s day. This isn’t about being pro or anti wind farm. It’s about making sure the community doesn’t get dudded,” Mr Hull said.
He points to impact compensation deals that other communities have negotiated from the establishment of renewable energy projects in their area, as examples of what can be achieved.
“Waubra is getting $90,000 a year for the community,” Mr Hull said.
“Rokewood is getting $230,000 a year and every person who lives in Rokewood (and was living there before the windfarm was established) is getting their power bill paid for the next 25 years.
“We need to formalise an entity that can argue on behalf of the community and it’s up to the community to put thoughts forward as to how money could be spent – maybe a community battery, maybe electric vehicle charger points, maybe money for the CFA …”
David Lawrance of Farm Gate Renewables was among those who attended and spoke at this month’s community meeting.
Mr Lawrance says communities, including landholders, are doing “the heavy lifting” in the clean energy transition and need to be fairly compensated. But he says that if communities like Clunes don’t pro-actively stand together then they risk missing out on getting fair compensation.
“You have a voice in this. You shouldn’t be a silent victim,” Mr Lawrance says.
Farm Gate Renewables operates on a commercial basis, providing consultancy and advocacy to negotiate better ongoing deals for impacted farmers and landholders. But it also works on a pro bono basis to help communities that are impacted by developments to get the best outcomes they can in terms of fair compensation.
Mr Lawrance says providing legal advice on possible different structures that an effective community advocacy group may be able to adopt is one way that Farm Gate Renewables can assist communities like Clunes.
From here, Mr Hull and fellow co-convenors like Dr Tess Brady, say locals who are interested in being part of the proposed community advocacy group should attend the regular Sunday evening community drinks gatherings that take place at Attitude Clunes.
“If people have got skills, legal skills for example, or any other skills or ideas, we’d be more than happy to hear from them,” Mr Hull said.
Dr Brady says the ongoing Sunday evening community drinks gatherings at Attitude Clunes happen from 5pm (daylight saving hours) with all welcome to attend.
“We are looking closely at other cases, other communities and the kinds of compensation they’ve had,” Dr Brady says.
“It’s pro community and how can we turn this thing into something positive for us. The main aim is to avoid contention and find consensus.
“The big picture here is a redistribution of wealth into the regions. If you add up the amount of compensation around, it’s big dollars.” Words: Eve Lamb | Image: File
