Community Benefits Scheme

The Scheme

Our Community Benefits Scheme includes the following initiatives:

  • Neighbour Profit Sharing delivering approximately $500,000 per annum directly to the neighbourhood area.
  • Community Development Fund offering approximately $150,000 per annum ($750 per MW installed).
  • Community Co-investment initiative providing the opportunity for the community to invest in the project.

In addition, based on community interest, there may be future opportunities for the following types of initiatives, which could all play a role in strengthening and enhancing the regional economic development outcomes of the project:

  • tourism, in partnership with landholder HVP
  • education and engagement, including mountain-bike trails, environmental and cultural engagement and educational walks
  • biodiversity enhancement and local offsets
  • local electricity offer linked to the wind farm (pending offtake partner for the project)

2023 Applications Now Closed

Thank you to all the community groups and non-profit organisations that applied for a Pre-Development Grant. 

All submissions are now under review and applicants will be notified of the outcome shortly. 

Next Funding Round

The Delburn Wind Farm Community Pre-Development Grants were established in 2020 to support initiatives that strengthen and enhance the local community. A limited amount of $10,000 will be shared between community groups and non-profit organisations located around the wind farm site. When construction of the Delburn Wind Farm commences, the Community Development Fund will increase to $150,000 per year ($750 per megawatt installed), allowing the community to bring bigger projects ideas and initiatives to life.

Applications for the 2024 Pre-development funding round will open on 14 October 2024.

We will inform the community and stakeholders of the opportunity to submit applications by advertising on our website, on the Delburn Wind Farm Facebook page, e-News and through local publications.  

Applications for the 2023 Pre-Development funding round are now open.

Please submit your application before the closing date of 30 November, 2023 via email to [email protected]

Useful Documents

Neighbour Profit Sharing

View of wind turbines across paddock

We recognise that our near neighbours are priority stakeholders, and that the construction and operation of the wind farm may have some local amenity impacts. There are 103 houses with at least one wind turbine located 2 km away or less.

It is proposed that a portion of the income from the wind farm be distributed directly to the near neighbours over the life of the project. This will be a fixed amount of $500,000 per annum (indexed over the life of the project), to be shared between our near neighbours. How this will be distributed and to whom is still to be agreed. 

We will work with the community to determine how funds will be distributed (e.g. through a community trust) and the formula for determining the amount to be allocated to each residence in a way the community feels is fair. 

Supporting Community

Community Development Fund

In 2020, we established a Community Development Fund to support community projects focused on sustainability, community health and wellbeing. To date, more than $40,100 in pre-development grants has been shared with community groups to help boost local connections, health and the environment.

Construction of the Delburn Wind Farm is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2024. Once underway, the Community Development Fund will increase to around $150,000 per year ($750 per megawatt installed), allowing the community to bring bigger ideas to life. The decision making on these grants will be made in collaboration with a new Community Benefits Committee to be established in 2024 to oversee the investment in community projects around the wind farm. Anyone interesting in being part of this committee should email [email protected] or call 1800 676 428.

Members of Thorpdale Playgroup, who were a Delburn Wind Farm grant recipient
Applications Open: 14 October 2024

Pre-Development Fund

The next round of Community Pre-Development Grants will open on 14 October and close on 24 November 2024. 

Prior to submitting an application, please review the Grant Application Guidelines and ensure your community group members agree to the Funding Deed Agreement and public acknowledgment requirements.

If you have any questions about the Pre-Development Grant Applications, please contact 1800 676 428.

  • Community groups and non-profit organisations that benefit the local community, health and the environment will be considered eligible for funding.
  • Projects that are co-funded are also welcome.
  • Organisations proposing a project must be able to demonstrate an ability to effectively manage and acquit any funds granted through this process.

Projects should contribute to one or more of the following:

  • building sustainable communities;
  • enhancing community safety, health and wellbeing;
  • supporting community education; and/or
  • enhancing the natural environment.

We are unable to offer funding support to:

  • individuals;
  • political organisations or campaigns;
  • religious organisations for religious activities;
  • an organisation’s ongoing operational costs;
  • private companies or commercial entities;
  • activities which encourage the irresponsible use of alcohol;
  • one-off donations to the same organisation more than once per year;
  • activities which are usually exclusively funded by government; and
  • activities which provide a direct financial benefit to employees of Delburn Wind Farm or its contractors.
Pre-Development Fund

Grant Recipients

The Delburn Wind Farm has awarded a number of grants since 2020:

  • Morwell Football Netball Club: Club room kitchen upgrade
  • Mirboo North Community Energy Hub: Community energy audits
  • Yinnar Community Garden: Educational package
  • Yinnar-Yinnar South Landcare Group: Indigenous seed collection
  • Boolarra Healing Tent: Healing tent
  • Mirboo North Football Netball Club: Walter Tuck Reserve scoreboard
  • Mirboo Country Development Inc: Mountain bike trail feasibility study
  • Grand Ridge Rail Trail: Retaining walls
  • Boolarra Men's Shed: New metal shop tools
  • Boolarra Equestrian Club: Excavation works for horse wash bay
  • Thorpdale Potato Festival: Festival amenity and safety
  • Thorpdale Playgroup: Chairs and tables for parents and children
  • Latrobe Choral Inc: Vocal workshops and community performances
  • Latrobe Valley Sustainability Group: Market fees and promotional assistance
  • D&M Art Projects: Boolarra creative school holiday program
  • BooFIIT: Air purifier and member subsidy assistance
  • Thorpdale Community News: Subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Boolarra Play Group: Large outdoor picnic table
  • Mirboo North Secondary College: ‘Animals in School’ project expansion.
  • Gippsland FM Community Radio: Training to build and maintain a website
  • Mirboo North United Football Club: Deliver first aid training to club volunteers. 

Community Co-investment

Two accountant discussion analysis sharing calculations about the company budget and financial

Being embedded in the local community, the Delburn Wind Farm wishes to provide the community with the opportunity to invest in and share the returns generated by the wind farm.  Investors will receive receive returns based on the wind farm’s performance, or fixed returns, depending on the investment structure agreed upon.

Through the Delburn Wind Farm survey that was open throughout 2019, over $1m of community investment was pledged, and over 60% of the responders considered it important, demonstrating sufficient support for this opportunity to be progressed. Delburn Wind Farm will work with the community to define the model and key terms of the investment offer.

The community co-investment model could be established through a range of different structures such as a company, a cooperative, an association or trust. The community would have no formal ownership or responsibility over the project and no decision-making power for the operation of the asset, but would receive financial benefits – either linked to performance of the Delburn Wind Farm as a whole or fixed in nature. The design of the scheme and investment mechanism will be co-designed with the community once the construction has commenced in order to be ready for implementation once the wind farm reaches commercial operations.

Connect With Us

Stay informed on the latest project updates and Community Benefits opportunities by subscribing to our e-Newsletter.

Creating Connection

Opportunities for the Community

Delburn Wind Farm values the community’s contribution to the development of this exciting initiative. Learn about employment opportunities, how to get involved with the project and ways to stay informed about the latest developments. 

Three engineers with tablet discussing on a wind farm

Employment

There will be a range of employment opportunities during the planning, construction and operations phases.
View across pine plantation to the Latrobe Valley

Get Involved

We encourage the community and other stakeholders to be actively involved in the Delburn Wind Farm.
Group of people participating in tour of Bald Hill Wind Farm

Stay Informed

There are a range of ways to stay up to date with the latest developments regarding the Delburn Wind Farm.