Region-defining benefits for the Wimmera
By unlocking the Wimmera’s renewable energy potential, we will help build a viable new industry both for today and for future generations, creating significant employment and investment for the region.
By addressing the impacts of climate change today and delivering clean energy through innovative solutions like one of Australia’s largest battery energy storage systems, we will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and secure a better future for the environment.
As project planning develops, we will work with landholders, traditional owners, neighbours and communities – as well as levels of government – to deliver the best solution for the region, ensuring fair compensation is provided, genuine benefits are shared and that local agriculture and the environment are protected.
More information on landholder, neighbour and community benefits can be found below.
We’ll unlock enough green electricity to meet more than 10% of Victoria’s total electricity demand.
Through combined renewable energy projects, we’ll reduce fossil fuel energy emissions by more than 3 million tonnes.
We’ll create a tailored transmission solution for renewable energy in the Wimmera.
We will complete local consultation and deliver fair compensation and genuine benefits.
We’ll help secure the Wimmera’s economic health and vitality through a $700+ million project.
We’ll invest in battery energy storage to ensure power is available when needed.
We’ll protect the local environment and agriculture.
We’ll create jobs and reduce long term energy costs.
Landholder Compensation
- WiRES will provide significant compensation for host landholders. This economic boost will provide a stable addition to existing income streams for the property and help protect farms against impacts of drought and swings in commodity prices.
- We will work with landholders on agreements that include the best solutions to reduce impact to property and protect existing businesses.
Neighbour Benefits
- We recognise that WiRES may have impacts on properties that neighbour the project sites.
- We have developed an industry-leading neighbour benefit scheme that offsets electricity costs to the equivalent of the average Victorian household’s usage for 25 years to houses within 1 km of the WiRES project.
Community Benefits
- We will work with communities along the WiRES route and across the broader region to identify the best ways they can share benefits from the project.
- These benefits may take the form of a dedicated annual grants program, overseen by a Community Advisory Group.
- Other opportunities include community investment programs, community energy solutions, as well as local training and scholarships.
- WiRES will create a significant number of jobs during construction, including many local opportunities.
- We want community benefits to be directed to those things that matter to the community and we need your feedback for that to happen.