Construction has begun on the Stockyard Hill Wind Farm, which will see Western Victoria become home to Australia’s biggest wind farm generating enough electricity to power more than 340,000 households.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio today visited the massive wind farm project near Beaufort to mark the start of construction.

The wind farm is being developed by Goldwind and will see 149 turbines provide 530 MW of clean energy to power homes across Victoria and beyond.

It will also provide a major boost for the local economy, delivering 300 jobs during construction and injecting more than $5 million into the local economy each year.

Projects such as Stockyard Hill have been made possible thanks to the Andrews Labor Government winding back the former Liberal Government’s anti-wind farm planning rules that almost killed off the clean energy sector and all the jobs it is creating across regional Victoria.

The Labor Government changes have seen the wind farm industry power ahead with projects underway or proposed at Lal Lal, Moorabool, Murra Warra, Bulgana and Golden Plains – the latter set to dwarf even Stockyard Hill.

Eight wind farms, worth $1.07 billion, have been built since the Labor Government was elected, creating more than 2300 construction jobs. Another nine new wind farms are under construction worth $3.2 billion.

This is in stark contrast with the former Liberal Government who shut down the industry with projects such as Stockyard Hill stuck in planning limbo despite getting initial planning approval in October 2010.

The Labor Government’s Victorian Renewable Energy Target of 25 per cent by 2020 and 40 per cent by 2025, is giving the renewable energy sector the confidence it needs to invest in new projects to deliver the jobs and prosperity that our state deserves, while also helping to put downward pressure on electricity prices.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

“We’re backing Victoria’s booming renewables industry every step of the way. The Stockyard Hill project will not only deliver the clean energy we need but will help power new jobs in Western Victoria.”

“We’re putting Victoria at the forefront of renewable energy and supporting the thousands of jobs it’s creating.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio

“The Stockyard Hill Wind Farm is another fantastic project that will boost supply and support even more jobs in the booming clean energy sector – all jobs that would be put at risk if Matthew Guy and the Coalition had their way.”