Project Location

The proposed Baldon Wind Farm is located 13km north of Moulamein, 55km east of Balranald, and 75km southwest of Hay. The project would sit within the Murray River and Hay Shire Council areas and is adjacent to the Edward River Council to the east. The map to the right shows the location of site that has potential for development of a wind farm. The project site is approximately 40 km north-south and 15 km east-west.  

The proposed site lies within the South-West Renewable Energy Zone (SWREZ). The project  would contribute significantly to the NSW Government’s net-zero emissions 2050 targets by sending clean, carbon-free renewable power into the NSW electricity grid.

The land is currently used for sheep grazing and there is an existing 220kV power line which runs through the centre of the site. TransGrid and ElectraNet are partnering to deliver an energy interconnector between the power grids of South Australia and New South Wales, with an added connection to Victoria.

Construction on Project EnergyConnect is well advanced in NSW and ElectraNet has completed the more than 200km component of the project in South Australia, from Robertstown to the South Australian border. Transgrid and its construction partner Elecnor Australia are getting on with the job of delivering the 700km NSW section of this nation-critical infrastructure. This planned infrastructure passes through the site parallel to the existing power line.

For more information on the project, please visit here.

Project Optimisation 

Over the past year, the initial design drawings of the Baldon Wind Farm have been refined after the completion of detailed environmental assessments and technical studies. The information gathered by the surveys and various assessments have allowed Goldwind to work to preserve areas of high cultural value and minimise impacts to areas of high biodivesity value. 

Some of the key findings from the assessments include: 

• A number of threatened flora and fauna species were identified (including Chariot Wheels, Winged Peppercress, Southern Bell Frog and Plains Wanderer);
• The identification of over 200 Cultural Heritage sites while surveying the proposed infrastructure assessment corridor. The infrastructure layout has been amended to avoid the majority of the identified heritage sites; and
• The production of wireframes and photomontages, which visually depict what the wind farm would look like from different viewpoints (such as the Sturt Highway and from Moulamein).

The findings from the detailed studies and community feedback sessions have incorporated, and the proposed Baldon Wind Farm designs have now been updated and include the following features: 

• Approximately 180 wind turbines exporting power to the National Electricity Market (NEM);
• Associated infrastructure such as roads, drainage, cabling and substations;
• Battery energy storage systems (BESS);
• Associated construction facilities;
• Accommodation camp for construction; and
• Operations and maintenance facilities.

Project Status

Three meteorological masts are installed on the proposed site. These structures are 130m tall and carry meteorological instruments, such as anemometers to measure wind speed and direction. The three meteorological masts will help confirm the predicted wind resources available and location of turbine layout. The met masts are complemented by the other wind monitoring devices, such as trailer-mounted SODAR units located on the site. 

Over the past two years, extensive fieldwork has been completed across the project site, including ecological and heritage (Aboriginal and European) surveys. The results of these studies will further inform the proposed project layout and will form part of our Environmental Impact Statement and seeking necessary planning approval.

Want to stay updated on this project?

Click here for more information. 

Our EIS submission and next steps

Drawing from its specialist reports and documentation, the project submitted an EIS to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI). Subsequently, the EIS was placed on a 28-day public exhibition which closed on 10/9/24. The DPHI has now collated the community submissions, as a response to this public display, and submitted them to the project (additionally, the responses are posted on the NSW Major Projects website).  The project will now prepare a  ‘Response to Submissions’ report for the NSW Department of Planning, to be considered and determined by the Minister for Planning or Independent Planning Commission. The project’s ‘Response to Submissions’ report will also be published on the NSW Major Projects website: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/baldon-wind-farm