The federal government has approved a 100-turbine wind farm on Robbins Island in north-west Tasmania following seven delays to the decision, and multiple court appeals.<\/p>\n
The up-to-900-megawatt facility will be the largest in Tasmania, and will be built on the known migratory path of the critically endangered orange-bellied parrot.<\/p>\n
The project, by ACEN Australia, required Commonwealth approval due to its potential impact on the parrot, and a facial tumour disease-free population of Tasmanian devils.<\/p>\n
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt has confirmed the project’s approval, after it was delayed seven times by his predecessor, Tanya Plibersek, since 2022.<\/p>\n
Orange-bellied parrots are critically endangered. (Supplied: Orange-bellied Parrot Program)<\/p>\n
“The decision includes strict conditions from both the Tasmanian and Australian governments to ensure this project will be constructed and operated in a way that safeguards nationally protected species,” he said.<\/p>\n
“This includes the orange-bellied parrot, Tasmanian devil, Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle and protected migratory shorebirds.”<\/p>\n
The wind farm project for the island has been 20 years in the making. (Supplied: Rob Blakers)<\/p>\n
The Commonwealth has placed 88 conditions on the project, including a requirement for a “bird and bat plan” that could require the wind farm to shut down to avoid impacts, Mr Watt said.<\/p>\n
“It’s possible that under that management plan they will be required to have a temporary pause to all or some of those wind turbines,” Mr Watt said.<\/p>\n
The proposed wind farm turbines (in blue) and detections of critically endangered orange-bellied parrots (in red) from an earlier study. (Supplied: Eric Woehler)<\/p>\n
“That’s a matter that we will now work through with the proponent as they prepare that management plan. That’s a plan that requires my approval.<\/p>\n
“We will be taking any risk of impact from these turbines on these endangered species very seriously.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
![\"Dozens](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/c822b86be85ca0975c92f4fd8319e7c2\")
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Bar-tailed godwits on Robbins Island, home to many different bird species. (Supplied: Rob Blakers)<\/p>\n
Wind farm won’t be built for years<\/p>\n
Construction is not expected to begin until 2031, and Mr Watt said this would provide time for a comprehensive bird and bat plan to be developed.<\/p>\n
“I can assure all Australians that when it comes time to deciding whether to approve that management plan or not, I will be looking very carefully at what impacts the wind turbines have on any critically endangered or endangered species,” he said.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1980658b4c14cd29e3f503690ce8e42b\")
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A critically endangered curlew sandpiper on Robbins Island. (Supplied: Rob Blakers)<\/p>\n
Other conditions include “comprehensive surveys” for three years before construction, and ACEN to provide funding for an orange-bellied parrot conservation program.<\/p>\n
While being considered by the Commonwealth, the wind farm faced appeals in Tasmania’s planning tribunal and the Supreme Court, including overturning a condition from Tasmania’s EPA for it to shut down for five months per year.<\/p>\n
The Tasmanian government also changed its coastal policy to allow structures to be built on actively mobile landforms, with the wind farm proposing a 500-metre wharf across tidal land and beaches.<\/p>\n
It also includes a bridge between Robbins Island and mainland Tasmania.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/59f0e037e33b5563d59e9e44715afaac\")
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The tidal Robbins Passage separates Robbins Island from mainland Tasmania. (Supplied: Rob Blakers)<\/p>\n
ACEN had to address potential impacts on a population of Tasmanian devils on the island that do not have facial tumour disease.<\/p>\n
The $3 billion project also requires the approval of transmission lines, which ACEN Australia hopes to achieve next year.<\/p>\n
ACEN welcomes project approval![\"ACEN](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/15d1a1f8a3bbd65ba2d4111131882664\")
<\/p>\n
ACEN Australia managing director David Pollington says the project can balance conservation and energy concerns. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n
ACEN Australia managing director David Pollington said the federal government’s decision provided certainty for the project.<\/p>\n
“The decision shows that large, complex projects can be delivered responsibly, balancing overall impacts and conserving biodiversity, with the need for clean energy to address climate change,” Mr Pollington said.<\/p>\n
“It comes at a time when Australia faces a stalling energy transition and looming power shortages as coal exits the system.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Data shows endangered parrots use Robbins Island wind farm site, expert says<\/a><\/p>\nA critically endangered species of parrot migrates through the Tasmanian site where a wind farm is planned with data proving it, a bird expert says. That should be enough to stop the proposal, the ecologist says.<\/p>\n
The Bob Brown Foundation \u2014 which was part of initial appeals against the wind farm \u2014 described the project as “wildlife killing”.<\/p>\n
Circular Head Coastal Awareness Network president Alice Carson said the decision was expected, but difficult to digest.<\/p>\n
“It breaks me, it really does. Here in Tasmania, we’ve got the most incredible wildlife,” Ms Carson said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The federal government has approved a 100-turbine wind farm on Robbins Island in north-west Tasmania following seven delays…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":183973,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[45777,87600,4740,103350,103349,30194,96943,50,103351,103348,11039],"class_list":{"0":"post-183972","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-approval","9":"tag-approved","10":"tag-australia","11":"tag-environment-minister","12":"tag-farm","13":"tag-island","14":"tag-murray-watt","15":"tag-news","16":"tag-orange-bellied-parrot","17":"tag-robbins","18":"tag-wind"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115110406847628718","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183972"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183972\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}