MacIntyre Wind Farm Precinct - Social Impact Assessment

ACCIONA Energía

Southern Downs Region, Queensland, Australia

The MacIntyre Wind Farm Precinct is one of Australia's largest wind energy developments - two wind farms contributing over 1,000 MW to the national grid across southern Queensland. As part of Queensland's renewable energy transition, the project raised significant questions about workforce capacity, housing pressures and community benefit in a rural region unaccustomed to a construction workforce at this scale.

Strategic leadership and technical oversight of the Social Impact Assessment for the precinct, including social baseline preparation, impact prediction, mitigation strategy, and inputs to the Social Impact Management Plan.

Comprehensive stakeholder engagement with more than 90 interactions across interviews, workshops and surveys with landholders, businesses, service providers, Traditional Owners, councils and community representatives. Identified community values, aspirations and local development trends; separated existing conditions from project-generated change; and tested workforce accommodation and procurement scenarios so the SIA could inform an implementable strategy.

The SIA identified potential social risks and opportunities associated with a large-scale renewable energy build, informed a workforce accommodation strategy, and locked in commitments to local procurement. Findings directly informed project planning and operational strategies, integrating social considerations into ACCIONA's decision-making across the precinct.