The Western Australian Government has released new draft guidelines designed to ensure that regional communities benefit more directly from the state’s renewable energy transition. These guidelines have been designed to make consultation more straight forward and consistent, providing a framework for benefit-sharing arrangements, to ensure regional communities rich in resources receive direct benefits from project development.
Unveiled at the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) Renewable Energy Forum, the Draft Guideline on Community Benefits for Renewable Energy Projects responds to calls from local governments, industry, and community groups for clearer expectations around community contributions.
WA’s Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation, the Hon. Amber-Jade Sanderson MLA, emphasised the importance of balancing community benefit with energy affordability.
“The draft guideline provides support for the community and renewable energy developers to achieve sensible arrangements that balance benefit for the local community with the affordability of energy,” she said.
Recognising the importance of a collaborative approach, the Minister said, “I am pleased to have worked with WALGA to understand the needs of local governments, and to hear from them today as we launch this draft guideline.”
The guidelines are particularly relevant for projects connecting to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), but the principles are applicable across the state.
They aim to provide greater investment certainty for developers while ensuring that the social and economic benefits of renewable projects are shared, such as
job creation and supply chain.
Public consultation on the draft guidelines is open until 4 August 2025, and the WA Government is encouraging feedback to help shape the final version.
Minister Sanderson said, “The State Government is working hard to ensure the benefits of the energy transition are spread throughout Western Australia. The
draft guideline is one way of achieving that”