The Victorian Government has granted final state approval for renewables developer WestWind Energy’s 219-turbine Warracknabeal Energy Park, a Wimmera project carrying more than $5 billion in anticipated investment that the government describes as the southern hemisphere’s largest wind farm.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny signed off on the project this week, five months after her assessment of its Environment Effects Statement (EES) found its environmental impacts acceptable.
The approval is the last required by Victorian authorities, with the project now going to the federal environment minister for final approval.
The wind farm would span about 26,000ha of farmland just west of Warracknabeal and north of Horsham, more than 300km north-west of Melbourne, with generation capacity of more than 1.5 gigawatts. It will be paired with two 300-megawatt battery energy storage systems.
WestWind says the project could supply about 12.5 per cent of Victoria’s electricity demand, power around 1.2 million homes and avoid more than 4.2 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year.
The project is expected to create about 950 jobs during construction, and WestWind has previously flagged 35 ongoing operational jobs.
“Today’s announcement is an important milestone for the Warracknabeal Energy Park and reflects a decade of detailed planning, technical assessment and engagement with the local community,” says WestWind Energy managing director Tobias Geiger.
“Projects of this scale have the potential to make a substantial contribution to Victoria’s future energy supply, support regional economic development and attract further investment in renewable energy and associated infrastructure.”
WestWind began engaging with the region and landowners in 2017. Its EES was publicly exhibited in 2025, after which an independent inquiry panel held public hearings over two months.
In scale, Warracknabeal is expected to narrowly overtake the Golden Plains Wind Farm west of Geelong, which has 215 turbines and a 1.33GW capacity.
WestWind originated Golden Plains before selling its first stage to France-based TagEnergy, which reached financial close on that stage in 2022.
The Warracknabeal project’s plans call for around 34km of high-voltage overhead transmission lines, including a 13km link to the Murra Warra Terminal Station and the planned Western Renewables Link.
The sign-off lands about three weeks before the state government enters caretaker mode ahead of the November state election.
