Central-West Orana REZ
First REZ declared in NSW under the EII Act. ~3 GW network capacity target. Access scheme operational and access rights awarded to multiple projects. REZ Transmission Project under construction.
10 access-right projects (~7,151 MW headline capacity) concentrated in approximately four LGAs. Sum of proponent-stated construction workforce across five disclosed projects (Valley of the Winds ~400, Spicers Creek ~330, Tallawang ~420, Sandy Creek ~600, Pottinger context ~900): well over 2,000 construction roles, with construction windows likely overlapping in 2027-2029. Accommodation and OSOM transport are the most visible pressures. Workforce numbers are proponent-supplied; treat as indicative.
Mitigation: REZ Transmission Project and EnergyCo coordination provide some sequencing. Project-level workforce strategies and accommodation plans are typically required as conditions of approval. A precinct-level workforce accommodation strategy is recommended but not yet established.
| Project | Proponent | Technology | Capacity | LGA | Status | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley of the Winds Wind Farm | ACEN Australia | wind | 943 MW | Warrumbungle Shire | approved | Confidence: Very high |
| Birriwa Solar | ACEN Australia | solar | 600 MW | Mid-Western Regional | approved | Confidence: Very high |
| Birriwa Battery Energy Storage System | ACEN Australia | BESS | 600 MW | Mid-Western Regional | approved | Confidence: Very high |
| Sandy Creek Solar Farm | Lightsource bp | solar | 750 MW | Warrumbungle Shire / Dubbo Regional | assessment | Confidence: Very high |
| Sandy Creek Battery Energy Storage System | Lightsource bp | BESS | 700 MW | Warrumbungle Shire / Dubbo Regional | assessment | Confidence: High |
| Cobbora Solar Farm | Pacific Partnerships | solar | 700 MW | Warrumbungle Shire | EIS preparation | Confidence: High |
| Cobbora Battery Energy Storage System | Pacific Partnerships | BESS | 400 MW | Warrumbungle Shire | EIS preparation | Confidence: High |
| Tallawang Solar Hybrid | Potentia Energy | solar | 500 MW | Mid-Western Regional | approved | Confidence: Very high |
| Spicers Creek Wind Farm | Squadron Energy | wind | 700 MW | Dubbo Regional / Warrumbungle Shire | approved | Confidence: Very high |
| Liverpool Range Wind Farm (Stages 1 and 2) | Tilt Renewables | wind | 1.33 GW | Upper Hunter / Liverpool Plains / Warrumbungle | approved | Confidence: Very high |
| Stubbo Solar Farm | ACEN Australia | solar | 400 MW | Mid-Western Regional | under construction | Confidence: Very high |
| Piambong Wind Farm | Vestas (Piambong Wind Farm Pty Ltd) | wind | 551 MW | Mid-Western Regional | EIS preparation | Confidence: High |
| Wollar Solar Farm | Wollar Solar Development | solar | 280 MW | Mid-Western Regional | under construction | Confidence: High |
| Orana Wind Farm (discontinued) | ACCIONA Energía | wind | unknown | Warrumbungle Shire / Mid-Western Regional | withdrawn | Confidence: High |
REZ access fees collected under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act, with portions directed to community benefit and First Nations participation under the access scheme framework.
Voluntary Planning Agreements typically negotiated between proponents and host councils as part of the SSD process. Common contributions include local road upgrades, community benefit funds, training and council capacity. Demo seed — verify per project.
First Nations participation commitments across CWO REZ projects, including procurement targets, employment pathways, cultural heritage protocols, and where applicable revenue-sharing or co-investment arrangements. Demo seed — verify per project.
Local procurement targets across CWO REZ projects. Coordination opportunity — host councils and RDA Orana have flagged the value of a regional supplier register and pre-qualification pathway accessible to multiple proponents.
WARNING — fragmented benefit sharing. Multiple proponents offering separate small community benefit funds without REZ-level coordination is likely. No transparent governance model yet links commitments to council, RDA or First Nations regional priorities. Nearby LGAs may experience impacts without proportional benefit.
ABS Census 2021 baseline aggregated across host LGAs; peak demand from project workforce benchmarks.
- 2026-07-15council om with daMid-Western Regional Council — Ordinary Meeting (CWO REZ workforce agenda item)
Indicative council OM with CWO REZ workforce accommodation strategy expected on the agenda. Multiple proponent VPA negotiations active. Mid-Western Regional is the most concentrated CWO LGA.
- 2026-09eis exhibition openCobbora Solar Farm — EIS submission to DPHI
EIS submission anticipated late Q3 2026 per Pacific Partnerships guidance. Includes 700 MW solar + 400 MW / 1,600 MWh BESS at the former Cobbora coal site.
- 2026-10ipc determinationSandy Creek Solar Farm — DPHI determination anticipated
Following EIS submission May 2024 and Federal EPBC approval March 2024, NSW DPHI determination on the 750 MW solar + 700 MW BESS project anticipated Q4 2026.
- 2026-12construction milestoneCWO REZ Transmission Project — major construction milestone
EnergyCo / Acciona ACE-Elecnor CWO REZ Transmission Project — major substation enabling-works milestone anticipated late 2026. First substation energisation precondition for access-right project commissioning.
- 2027-02construction milestoneTallawang Solar Hybrid — construction commencement (proponent target)
Potentia Energy targeting early-2027 construction start. ~420 construction jobs at peak. First major post-IPC-determination CWO project to commence.