The Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) gave final approval for Bowmans Creek Wind Farm (Stage 1) under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) in July 2024. This followed approval of the development application by the NSW Independent Planning Commission in February 2024.

The EPBC Act approval decision notice with final conditions is available online from the the EPBC Public Portal.

Bowmans Creek Wind Farm Stage 2 is a proposed extension involving land in the middle of the Stage 1 project area. It would take advantage of the infrastructure planned for Stage 1 and add a further 21 wind turbines and ~120 megawatts of capacity. Stage 2 is a separate project and will require a separate approval. Materials shared at a local information session about Stage 2 last year are available in the session report.

Ark Energy lodged a Scoping Report for Stage 2 in June 2024 and in August 2024 the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure issued Planning Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) for the project’s environmental impact statement (EIS). The proposal was also referred to DCCEEW for review under the EPBC Act and in March 2025 DCCEEW determined it to be a controlled action with assessment under the bilateral agreement between the NSW and Commonwealth Governments.

Geotech work for Stage 1 will commence in the coming months. Environmental and technical studies as required by the SEARs for Stage 2 are underway, and the EIS is due to be lodged in 2026. Planning documentation for Stage 2 is available online from the project's page in the NSW Government's Major Project's Portal..

Ark Energy appreciates the importance of involving local stakeholders, and input from interested community members is welcome and valued. Feedback and questions can be sent directly to the project team at any time via the online feedback form or by email.

Companies interested in providing services to the project are also invited to register their interest through the online suppliers form.

Download the Bowmans Creek Wind Farm Newsletter - May 2025