Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm

The proposed Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm is located in the Mid North, South Australia, and is proposed to include up to 83 wind turbines.
The project site has been chosen due to its high wind resource and location near existing transmission infrastructure.

A Renewable Energy Infrastructure Licence (REIL) application was submitted for the wind farm in late 2024 under the Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act 2023.
The REIL application was open for public consultation in July 2025 and the project team are currently working through the community and government agency submissions.

In response to the submissions that were received, we have been completing additional surveys and assessments and refining the design of our project. We will then submit our updated application documentation, including our formal responses to submissions, to the Department for Energy and Mining (DEM). We thank the community and government stakeholders for their patience as we carefully work through this important stage of the project’s development.

Following review by DEM, the submissions, our responses and the updated Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Statement of Environmental Objectives (SEO) will be available to review on the DEM’s website. The Minister for Energy will then make a decision on whether to issue a Licence for the project.
Visit the DEM website here for more details about the Licencing process.

Wind Prospect see the development of a windfarm as collaborative process between developers, landholders, local communities, Aboriginal custodians, technicians, data analysts, engineers, biologists, sociologists, local and state government, elected members, administrators and planners, manufacturers, small business and volunteers. It is a long journey from concept to reality and there is a rigorous process that all proposals must be tested against.

To all our project stakeholders, stay safe and well and don’t hesitate to be in touch if you have any queries.

Project approvals and timeline

The Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm has submitted a Renewable Energy Infrastructure Licence application to the Minister for Energy under the Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act 2023. This process includes comprehensive investigations to identify, avoid or minimise any potential impacts on the environment, community and surrounding area. Subsequent Associated Infrastructure Licence Applications will be prepared and submitted for the project’s grid connection and potentially for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).

Step 1
Prepare Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Statement of Environmental Objectives (SEO)
Wind Prospect commissioned a broad range of environmental, social and cultural investigations to be completed by technical specialists. These assessments are incorporated in the EIR and the outcomes of these assessments inform the development of the SEO for the project.

Step 2
Public consultation of the EIR and SEO
The EIR and SEO were submitted to the Department for Energy and Mining (DEM) as part of the project’s Renewable Energy Infrastructure Licence application. The EIR and SEO will be exhibited publicly, allowing for feedback from the community and relevant government agencies that the project is referred to.

The project’s application can be accessed here for review: https://www.energymining.sa.gov.au/whyte-yarcowie-wind-farm and consultation is open until the 1st of August 2025.

Step 3 (We are here)
Responses to referral agency and community submissions
DEM will collate submissions provided by referral agencies and the community and provide them to the project team, requesting responses where relevant. The project team will review the submissions, provide responses where requested by DEM and as relevant, update the project, the EIR and/or the SEO.

Step 4
Government Review and Licence decision
Once the public exhibition period is complete, DEM will review the project’s EIR, SEO, public and referral agency submissions and the project’s responses to the submissions, and make a final determination on whether to grant the project a Licence, as well as the conditions of a Licence. These conditions will include the development of an Operational Management Plan (OMP) that will need to be approved by the Minister for Energy before the project can begin construction.

Step 5
Preparation and approval of Operational Management Plan
Following the granting of a REIL, and Associated Infrastructure Licence(s) for the project, the project team will work with government agencies and affected stakeholders to develop a comprehensive Operational Management Plan (OMP).

In addition to the SA approvals process, the Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm requires assessment under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The EPBC referral for the project was submitted in May 2025 and made available for public comment until 16/6/25. DCCEEW has decided the Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm is a Controlled Action and the project will be assessed by Preliminary Documentation.

Other approvals
In addition to the REIL application for the Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm, the project will also be seeking Associated Infrastructure Licences (AILs) for the transmission line and BESS associated with the project.
Assessments are currently being undertaken to inform the design of these project components and support the development of the AIL application documents. Community and stakeholder consultation for these project components will be undertaken in 2026.

In May 2025 the project was referred to the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). In July, the delegate to the Minister to the Environment determined that the project would be assessed on Preliminary Documentation. The project team is now working with our project ecologists to undertake targeted surveys and prepare the reports required for the Preliminary Documentation which is planned to be submitted to DCCEEW in 2026.

Local and regional benefits

The Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm will create employment opportunities during the construction phase and provide ongoing jobs once operational. In addition, it will deliver broad community benefits throughout its lifecycle, including opportunities for local suppliers, businesses, and accommodation providers. These benefits have the potential to support economic activity in the region through increased demand for goods and services.

Community Benefits Program:
Wind Prospect is committed to sharing the benefits of the Project and understands the importance of developing these initiatives in collaboration with the local community.
We have sought input on the shape of our community benefits program and have prepared a draft benefits sharing program, which includes:

• Near neighbour benefits, including energy offset payments
• A Community Benefit Fund – sharing benefits with the wider community through support for projects, programs, initiatives and events, overseen by members of the local community
• Traditional Owners benefit sharing with Ngadjuri Nation Aboriginal Corporation.

The scale of the program would be shaped as the project progresses, ensuring that benefits are proportionate to the final development. If the Project were to proceed with 83 wind turbines, this would equate to over $500,000 per year in community benefit funding.

Refer to the Community page for further details.

The project is estimated to directly create up to 240 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs during construction and 15 FTE jobs during operation of the wind farm. The expenditure involved in developing and operating the project will also spur on industry in SA creating many more indirect jobs with over $100 million estimated to be spent in South Australia during construction.

The project is also committed to sharing benefits of the project with the community around the project and has developed a Benefits Sharing Program.

Energy Transition:
The Whyte Yarcowie Wind Farm would play a vital role in contributing to the State achieving its 100% renewable energy target and expanding opportunities to decarbonise transport and industry. The project would be able to produce over 2000 GWh / year of renewable energy.