February 20, 2026
Construction of the 436.5MW Tarong West Wind Farm is a major step closer following the announcement this week of Federal Government environmental approval for the project.
RES Australia Pty Ltd plans to build, operate – and eventually decommission – 97 wind turbines on 17,500ha between Ironpot and Mannuem.
Stanwell holds an option to acquire 100 per cent of the wind farm pending the successful outcome of the approval process.
The wind farm will built be on a mix of freehold rural properties, State land and reserves about 30km west of Kingaroy.
It has now received received Federal approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC), one of the final milestones before construction can start.
An RES spokesperson said the wind farm was expected to become one of the largest in Queensland and would have a 30-year operational life.
The spokesperson said the state-of-the-art wind turbines would be up to 280m tall and had been designed for efficiency and minimal environmental impact.
The development is expected to generate more 450 jobs during construction and provide employment for up to 15 full-time staff afterwards.
RES says the project will power up to 230,000 homes, deliver community funding and inject more than $1.5 billion into the Queensland economy.
The achieve the EPBC approval, the company undertook flora and fauna surveys on the site fore more than seven years as well as seasonal studies, bird and bat use surveys and a hyrological and geological assessments.
“The surveys identified several key species that informed the project’s final design and mitigation measures,” the spokesperson said.
“Throughout assessment, RES refined the layout to reduce ecological impacts during both construction and operation.”
There was also consultation with local community members, the South Burnett Regional Council, State Government departments, fire and emergency services and First Nations representatives.
“These inputs played a critical role in shaping the project’s commitments and ensuring local values were integrated into the project design,” the spokesperson said.
As part of the approval conditions, RES will conduct ecological monitoring during construction and ongoing operation.
Land adjacent to the project area has also been secured to enable local delivery of offset requirements where the impacts occur.
Construction is now expected to begin late this year.
In 2024, the State Government committed $776.1 million towards the project, formerly known as Iron Leaf.
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RES CEO Matt Rebbeck said the approval represented a major milestone for the Tarong West Wind Farm.
“We acknowledge the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for their engagement throughout the assessment process,” he said.
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In January, the South Burnett Regional Council wrote to the Tarong West wind farm developers requesting more information about an application to build workforce accommodation for the project on a proposed 10-year leased block of land beside Warren Truss Drive, near Kingaroy Airport.
If approved, construction of the work camp – which could house up to 400 people – could start as early as this year.
It is proposed that at the end of the wind farm project, the development would be decommissioned with a “legacy” 100 rooms remaining to service any other future projects in the area.
Sealed car parks would also be built as well as a bus set-down area.
Buses would ferry workers to the construction site at Ironpot to minimise traffic on local roads.
The response for more information is due back to Council by April 23.
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