Our commitment
Windlab is a signatory to the Clean Energy Council’s Best Practice Charter for Renewable Energy Projects.
The Charter provides a leading-practice framework for renewable energy companies to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure projects protect community, environmental and cultural values, and deliver the meaningful and sustainable regional development initiatives that make a difference in the lives of local people.
Windlab’s priority is to build respectful, trusting, and mutually beneficial partnerships with the regional Australian communities that host our projects. Through our leading-practice approach to community consultation and engagement, we aim to support local people to shape the direction of renewable energy developments in their communities and provide opportunities for locals to participate in the development of Windlab’s projects in a way that is meaningful to them.
Working with the community
The success of our business relies on strong, long-term relationships, and the delivery of equitable benefits that make a difference in the lives of local people in regional and rural Australia.
Most of the South Queensland Renewable Generation Hub’s projects are still in early concept development, however Bungaban wind energy project has now progressed through to active development, supported by detailed community consultation which kicked off in 2023.
Before starting in-depth public consultation, we sought feedback from regional stakeholders to build an understanding of local priorities, while we validated the region’s renewable energy resource potential and completed the early technical work required to support confidence and clarity as we engage with communities.
Our focus is on collaborating with the people who know the region best to shape a responsible project design informed by community insight and support equitable benefits that matter to local people.
As we work through development and progress regulatory approvals, we will continue seek stakeholder insights and provide opportunities for feedback.
Unlocking regional benefits
As the Hub’s first and most mature project, Bungaban will create up to 600 jobs during construction, and inject around $500 million into the regional economy through local employment and supply and contracting opportunities, once approved.
Windlab is seeking expressions of interest for local people and supply partners interested in getting involved in the Bungaban project. If you’re a tradesperson, industry professional, or business owner located within the Western Downs region or Banana Shire, register your interest by emailing sqrgh@windlab.com or calling 1800 846 980.
Windlab manages construction of our own projects which gives us flexibility in how we contract. Our ‘split contracting’ model and adaptive procurement approach means we can shape local employment, supply and contracting opportunities in line with regional capacity.
Engaging early in the development phase allows us to work with locals to understand what the ideal employment, supply and contracting mix looks like in their community, and how we can work with regional organisations to support local skills and capacity building initiatives.
The Western Downs and Banana Shire regions are ideally positioned to benefit from the renewable energy transition, with high value renewable energy resources, land-use compatibility, good foundational infrastructure and access, and a skilled industrial workforce ready to support project construction.
Our consultation process also informs the development of the project’s long-term Community Benefit Fund which will support sustainable community development initiatives that matter to local people.
Our commitment to First Nations engagement
The South Queensland Renewable Generation Hub is located on the traditional lands of the Iman and Auburn Hawkwood Peoples.
Windlab supports opportunities for Traditional Owners to participate in the development of our projects, and demonstrate respect for First Nations culture, knowledge and agency in everything we do. In this way, Windlab aims to support First Nations Australians to shape the direction of renewable energy developments on Country and across Australia.
Our focus is to ensure open and transparent consultation, protection of Cultural Heritage and provide equitable opportunities that acknowledge the region’s First Nations histories and connections to Country.
The clean energy transition is a priority focus for all levels of government in Australia. We see an enormous opportunity for the ‘Renewable Generation’ to empower First Nations Peoples through employment, procurement, and business engagement in the sector.
