Squadron Energy joined industry, community and government representatives at a NSW Parliament House roundtable last week to look at how major renewables projects can deliver long-term benefits for regional communities.
The roundtable, convened by Member for Wagga Wagga Dr Joe McGirr and Member for Albury Justin Clancy, brought together stakeholders from local government, community organisations and foundations, as well as developers.
It explored practical ways to strengthen benefit-sharing, with a focus on ensuring regional communities have a genuine role in shaping long-term local value and the outcomes that matter most to them.
While there was a diversity of perspectives and constructive debate, one thing was clear: there was strong alignment around shared principles of fairness, transparency, intergenerational benefit, and community-led benefit sharing.
Speaking on behalf of Squadron Energy, Head of Community and Regional Development Jessica Kite acknowledged the existing NSW community benefit sharing framework, noting that maximising outcomes within these frameworks can deliver strong benefits for communities if done right.
“We work with communities early to define priorities to ensure strong outcomes,” Ms Kite said.
“If this doesn’t happen, communities can end up with structures or initiatives that don’t reflect local expectations or needs.
“The voluntary planning agreements we establish for each of our projects represent millions of dollars over the life of a project, so it’s critical local inputs shape their design.”
She also highlighted the important role councils can play as an early and credible voice for their communities, calling out Dubbo Regional Council for its strategic approach. This has included a partnership between council and Squadron to deliver an advanced wastewater treatment facility to address water security.
“Our approach is grounded in early engagement, long-term local partnerships and practical benefit-sharing that reflects the priorities of host communities.
“As regional NSW continues to play a central role in Australia’s energy transition, discussions like this roundtable are an important opportunity to hear from communities, focus on what works, strengthen trust and continue to focus on strong local outcomes,” she said.