Community Sponsorships & Donations
Voluntary local sponsorships, grants, and donations provided before a formal community benefit fund is established.
The Social Licence Register acknowledges the Wiradjuri, Wailwan and Kamilaroi peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands covered by the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community.
The Central-West Orana REZ includes fifteen renewable projects; the register tracks them across the four councils where they are located (Mid-Western, Warrumbungle, Dubbo and Upper Hunter). EnergyCo’s cumulative-impact study area for the REZ is wider — six councils: Dubbo, Warrumbungle, Mid-Western, Narromine, Gilgandra and Warren. This page shows the scale of activity underway and the commitments shaping how benefits reach communities.
The REZ covers the region around Mudgee, Dunedoo and Dubbo. The fifteen projects include wind, solar, storage and the zone-level transmission build. Together they show the scale of the transition and the commitments on record across the region.
These snapshots show what each council is managing on the ground, including construction load, workforce needs, housing pressure and community benefits.
Projects were approved under different policy settings. This timeline shows why commitments vary and which expectations applied to which projects.
Some projects in the Central-West Orana REZ were approved before the access scheme started. These are grandfathered. They keep their original connection arrangements and don’t need an access right. They continue on their own track, separate from the 7.15 GW allocation. A few are already operating. Each project’s page shows whether it is grandfathered.
An access right is the formal permission a project needs to connect to the REZ network once the scheme is in place. It comes with conditions: meeting local-content expectations set by the Sector Board Plan, and preparing a First Nations Industry and Aboriginal Participation Plan. These obligations don’t apply to grandfathered projects. The 2024 Benefit-Sharing Guideline also applies only to newer approvals. Together, these exclusions create the grandfather gap: projects inside the zone, affecting local communities, but held to older and lighter accountability settings.
A NSW revenue contract (LTESA) and a REZ access right are generally either-or. A project with an LTESA isn’t expected to seek an access right. Future access-rights rounds, run by AEMO Services, are aimed at new projects rather than grandfathered ones.
Sources: EnergyCo, Central-West Orana REZ Access Scheme and Access Rights application guidelines; NSW access-scheme consultation (2024–25). Which projects are grandfathered follows each project’s access-right status; the zone-wide access-rights count is being reconciled against EnergyCo’s May 2025 determination.
This view highlights five patterns that appear across all four LGAs. They are not the only issues in the data. There are many others. These five show up consistently across the REZ and point to system-level challenges that will need attention as the transition progresses.
The majority of projects do not have a confirmed construction start date. Councils can’t plan housing, roads, childcare or services. TAFEs can’t time training. Communities can’t prepare. This is the single biggest barrier to fair and orderly delivery — and the biggest opportunity for improvement.
Across all four LGAs, housing strain begins before construction peaks, as early works and contractor mobilisation pressure local rentals. Most active projects have published Accommodation and Employment Strategies, and some commit to worker camps, but camps tend to arrive late and few add new, permanent housing. Local rental stock absorbs much of the pressure. Coordinating early impacts, peaks and worker accommodation would deliver the greatest benefit for councils and communities.
Most projects are still pre-construction, so local hiring is yet to happen and there is little outcome data to report. The deeper issue is structural: commitments to apprenticeships, skills and local employment rarely set numerical targets, and almost none require outcome reporting. So even once construction begins, there is no consistent way to see whether training and skills investment converts into real project jobs for local people. Building targets and reporting into conditions now would let councils, TAFE NSW, developers and government track what works.
Annual payments range from zero to several hundred thousand dollars. Formulas differ. Indexation is unclear. Some are lump sums; some are floors; some are unpublished. A consistent approach would give communities clarity and confidence — and lift the floor across the REZ.
Some projects publish operational jobs; others don’t. Local procurement commitments are often broad statements without targets or reporting. Clear, consistent reporting would help councils, communities and local businesses see the real long-term benefit.
The Social Licence Register helps people see where benefits are flowing, where information is thin and where clearer guidance or updated reporting could strengthen outcomes. It supports consistent expectations across REZs and makes it easier to see the good work the renewable sector is delivering for communities.
For councils, this view shows the scale and timing of activity in their area, the commitments on record for each project and how those commitments differ across the zone. It highlights the kinds of issues councils routinely face — workforce peaks, housing pressure, pre-construction spending, childcare gaps, local procurement barriers, service-package visibility and the ‘grandfather gap’ between older and newer consents. Councils can use this information to plan for impacts, coordinate with developers, align training and workforce programs, prepare for accommodation pressure and advocate for clearer conditions or reporting where needed.
The public record is free. Above it sit two optional layers: a paid analytics layer and a closed pilot layer. The cards below are prototypes — use the control (bottom-right) to switch between the public site and the full pilot view; the underlying facts always stay public.
It benchmarks projects by size and technology across ten categories — community benefit, jobs and training, First Nations participation, housing and accommodation, local procurement, and others. The analytics are sold to government, councils and investors because they support public-interest decision-making. We don’t sell this layer to developers; the register is independent and doesn’t take developer money. Access is controlled through verified email domains.
These are things you can’t see from a single development consent: construction-start windows, grandfathering gaps, unpublished benefit-fund details, housing and accommodation pressure, and local-procurement commitments. These insights are shared with public-interest bodies as part of continuous improvement — highlighting emerging issues, recommended fixes, and early adopters of better practice.
The Register’s vision is a trusted, independent public record of what renewable developers commit to communities — and what actually reaches the ground. Each year we will publish an annual report that draws the whole zone together: what was committed, what has been delivered, where the gaps remain, and the policy settings that shaped them.
The Social Licence Register acknowledges the Wiradjuri, Wailwan and Kamilaroi peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands covered by the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community.
This page shows what each developer has promised and what has been delivered. Every project in the Central-West Orana REZ has its own tab with its planning status, the policy settings that apply to it, its revenue contract position (LTESA or CIS), and a table of commitments by category. If something hasn't been delivered, or if public information is missing, a gap tag explains why.
Click a project to view its commitments, framework position and revenue contract status.
Every renewable energy or storage project with a footprint in a Central-West Orana host council is listed here. We fully track projects that have lodged a planning assessment or are already approved. The Access right column shows which projects secured a right to connect to the new REZ transmission network in the 2024 round — but a project can still proceed without one, either through an existing connection or by building anyway (Maryvale is doing exactly that). Long-established projects generating for more than a year are outside scope. The REZ transmission line itself (ACEREZ) is tracked separately, not as a generation project.
| Project | Developer | Type & size | Host council | Stage | Access right | In the register |
|---|
Not listed: long-established operating projects — generating for more than a year — sit outside scope. In this zone: Suntop Solar (since 2021), Wellington Solar Farm (since 2021), Bodangora Wind (2019) and Beryl Solar (2019).
Source: project list compiled from EnergyCo's Central-West Orana REZ access-rights list and the NSW Major Projects planning portal (planningportal.nsw.gov.au), reviewed July 2026.
Sources: NSW DPHI development consents, statements of commitments, VPA appendices; Independent Planning Commission decisions; AEMO Services LTESA award notices; DCCEEW Capacity Investment Scheme tender results; EnergyCo NSW CWO Access Rights announcements; project EIS and SIA documentation. Last updated April 2026.
Status disclaimer: Pre-construction projects show "Pre-construction" against delivery, not a fault, just timing. Of the fourteen generation projects, eleven are consented (mostly pre-construction) and three are under assessment, so the "Delivered" column is thin and the register today is effectively Committed + Gap. CCC minutes coverage uneven. LTESA / CIS / Access Right status reflects publicly reported information as at April 2026, verify before citing publicly. Birriwa VPA quantum not publicly disclosed, flagged in the Community Benefit Fund row rather than estimated. Wellington North VPA not locatable in public documentation, flagged rather than estimated. Spicers Creek Access Right status to be confirmed.
First Nations limitation: All First Nations entries reflect proponent-stated commitments in APPs, SoCs and consent conditions. No content in this register has been verified against Local Aboriginal Land Council or Traditional Owner perspectives. Assessments of delivery quality against CWO First Nations Guidelines (Oct 2023) or the Revised General First Nations Guidelines (May 2025) require primary-source input from First Nations stakeholders that sits outside this register's scope.
The Register reads each project's planning consent, its Voluntary Planning Agreement and any tender obligations, then tracks delivery against the public record and publishes what we find. Each check is binary against a published method, with a right of reply for the developer before anything goes public.
Did the project deliver against a published method? Yes or no. No editorial discretion in the finding.
Time-stamped. Peer-reviewed. Open to audit. Updated only through documented process. Every claim cites a primary planning document.
Every party named in a Register publication sees the section that names them, with sources, before publication. They can challenge facts. None can change the classification.
The Register draws only on primary planning documents and publicly available information. These include:
All projects must meet baseline protections built into the planning system. These apply to every project and sit outside what this register tracks:
First Nations obligations go well beyond cultural heritage. NSW guidance for renewable projects sets expectations for genuine engagement with Traditional Owners and knowledge holders, drawing on principles of free, prior and informed consent, self-determination and benefit-sharing. Because these expectations have strengthened over time and apply differently depending on when each project was consented, the register tracks First Nations participation as one of its ten categories, it is not treated as a fixed baseline.
Anyone can challenge a finding by pointing to a primary source. The Register updates entries when new, verifiable information becomes available.
Councils, communities, developers, funders: we’re building this with you. If you see something that needs correcting, tell us and point us at the source.
The Social Licence Register acknowledges the Wiradjuri, Wailwan and Kamilaroi peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands covered by the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community.
The NSW Government’s total investment for community and jobs benefits. It’s paid upfront through the Transmission Acceleration Fund, so communities get support before construction begins. Everything below is drawn from this total — not added on top of it.
Long-term community infrastructure for eligible councils.
Grants for community projects.
Grants for small community organisations.
For First Nations community and business projects.
Separate from CEBP: the ACEREZ Community Grants — a grants program run by the transmission operator (Acciona/Cobra/Endeavour), not government money. $3K–$50K small grants and $50K–$1M significant grants across five rounds (2026–2028). Shown in full in the ACEREZ project view under Community Benefit Fund.
What's been allocated, who benefits, and when communities will see outcomes
| Level | Type | Programme | Council | Amount | What's been funded & who benefits | When | Status |
|---|
Sources: EnergyCo CWO REZ Grant Guidelines (July 2024); NSW Government $60M announcement (April 2025); RenewEconomy reporting; EnergyCo CEBP page; ACEREZ community page (acerez.com.au); First Nations Clean Energy Strategy (energy.gov.au Dec 2024); AER CWO REZ revenue determination; pv magazine Australia (April 2025). Amounts tagged "Reported" are from public announcements but not independently verified against disbursement records. "Allocated" means budgeted but delivery status unknown. [external]
The Social Licence Register acknowledges the Wiradjuri, Wailwan and Kamilaroi peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands covered by the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community.
The Social Licence Register makes renewable energy commitments clearer, fairer and easier to track. We’re independent, we don’t take developer money, and we read every project from its primary planning documents. Our job is to show communities, councils and government what’s been promised, and what’s actually happening on the ground.
From there, the Register tracks ten social licence categories that appear in every renewable approval. Some approvals are clear and measurable; others are vague or silent. We flag the gaps so people can see the full picture.
Voluntary local sponsorships, grants, and donations provided before a formal community benefit fund is established.
Publicly reported opportunities and benefits for First Nations people and communities.
Local training and apprenticeship opportunities linked to renewable energy projects.
Jobs and contracts awarded to local workers and businesses.
Whether local people get the construction jobs or whether workers are fly-in fly-out.
How worker accommodation affects local housing availability and rental costs.
When construction starts, how long it will last, and peak workforce numbers.
Whether community concerns and feedback are considered by the developer.
How much money flows into the community and how it's spent.
The long-term jobs and local employment opportunities that remain after construction.
Some obligations sit outside these ten categories. Baseline planning protections, such as environmental, heritage, safety and landowner and neighbour protections, apply to every project and are assumed rather than tracked. First Nations obligations go further than cultural heritage: NSW guidance sets engagement expectations drawing on free, prior and informed consent and benefit-sharing, and because these vary by consent date, First Nations participation is tracked as one of the categories above rather than treated as a fixed baseline.
“Communities understand the difference between a project that brings ongoing jobs and one that leaves only a small footprint once construction ends. If renewable energy is going to earn long term trust, it needs to deliver lasting economic benefits, not only short term work.”
Different people use the Register for different reasons. Each group gets the information that helps them make better decisions.
Councils can see every project in one place, check what is coming and understand what it means for their area. This supports planning, submissions and shared advocacy.
Government can see where projects are delivering well and where clearer guidance or updated reporting could help. This supports net-zero goals and helps communities see and feel the benefits.
Developers can see how their commitments compare across the region. The Register shows what has been committed and what has been delivered, with sources attached.
Communities get plain-English explanations of what each project has committed to, with every claim linked back to the original document.
Traditional Owners are the First Peoples of this Country, its original custodians, holding continuing rights, knowledge and responsibilities for the land, waters and cultural heritage where these projects are built. They take part as rights-holders, in genuine partnership and on their own terms.
The Register tracks First Nations participation as one of its ten categories rather than folding it into baseline protections, because the responsibility runs well beyond statutory cultural heritage. Current guidance asks developers to work in ways that are led by Traditional Owners and grounded in self-determination, free, prior and informed consent, and the fair sharing of benefits. Commonwealth funding now reflects this through a dedicated First Nations criterion.
How Traditional Owners choose to engage, and what they choose to make public, is theirs to determine. Many agreements are, by the community’s own decision, held in confidence. Where the Register shows this category as silent, that reflects a consent that pre-dates current guidance, or an arrangement Traditional Owners have chosen to keep private. It is never a judgement that a developer has fallen short, and never a gap held against anyone.
What the Register can point to is the public record: whether current guidance applied at the time of consent, the federal criterion where it applies, and the heritage and native title instruments held on the registers of record. Everything beyond that rightly rests with the Traditional Owners to whom it belongs. See how we verify.
Councils, communities, developers, funders: we’re building this with you. If you see something that needs correcting, tell us and point us at the source.