Victoria approves Mt Fyans wind farm after more than a decade of delays
A wind farm capable of generating enough power for almost 250,000 homes has been approved after more than a decade in the works.
The construction of the 81-turbine wind farm in southwest Victoria is slated to create 100 jobs with 10 full-time positions once it becomes operational.
Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny announced the approval on Saturday for the 400MW Mt Fyans wind farm project near Mortlake, west of Geelong.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“We’re making good decisions faster that will still protect the local environment, while providing Victorian households with cheaper energy,” she said in a statement.
A ministerial referral in 2017 decided an environmental effects statement was not required, subject to assessment of risks to the critically endangered southern bent-wing bat.
The decision noted the site contained significant environmental values for biodiversity and geo-heritage but detailed investigations had demonstrated the risks could be managed.
The state’s Liberal opposition has previously labelled Mt Fyans “the longest delayed project” in the Victorian renewables planning system.
Woolnorth Renewables, which owns and operates three wind farms in Tasmania, is behind the Victorian project and has been investigating feasibility at the site since 2008, with wind monitoring beginning in 2011.
Wind gusts exceeding 90km/h were recorded at Mortlake during severe weather overnight.
The state government says wind is the biggest contributor to Victoria’s renewable energy generation, accounting for more than a fifth of the state’s monthly energy generation in the first half of 2025.
Almost two-thirds of Victoria’s energy generation is targeted to come from renewables by 2030.
Environmentalists hit out on Friday following the federal government’s approval of a 100-turbine proposal for Robbins Island in Tasmania, over concerns the project will further imperil critically endangered parrots.
A bridge to the island could also expose Tasmanian devils to a deadly facial tumour disease which has decimated populations on the mainland.
Conditions have been put in place to mitigate some of those concerns but critics have questioned their efficacy.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced heckling from attendees when responding to renewable energy’s impact on regional communities at an event hosted by the Herald-Sun newspaper in Victoria’s Ballarat region on Friday.
