Project Timeline

The Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) has approved St Patricks Plains Wind Farm, proposed for the Central Highlands region of Tasmania.

The approval from DCCEEW follows planning approval from the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TasCAT) in September 2025, after the planning permit issued by Central Highlands Council in July 2024 was appealed by an opposition group.

The project was referred to DCCEEW under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) in 2019 and determined to be a controlled action due to potential impacts on listed threatened species and communities (sections 18 and 18A). The assessment was completed under the bilateral agreement between the Tasmanian and Commonwealth Governments, and DCCEEW’s final approval follows its acceptance of a variation lodged in November 2025, aligning the proposal with the final version approved by TasCAT. The project must be undertaken in accordance with the conditions specified in the approval.

The project has planning approval for a wind farm of up to 44 wind turbines with a generation capacity of up to 272MW, and ancillary infrastructure. It will generate enough electricity to power ~98,000 average-sized Australian households per year.