A partnership between Woolnorth Renewables and Traditional Owners in North-East Tasmania is being showcased as an example for how clean energy projects can deliver long-term social value to regional communities.
Located at Trouwerner/Lutruwita’s far north-eastern tip, the 168-megawatt Musselroe wind farm has formalised access to 80 hectares of Tebrakunna Country for the Melaythenner Teeackana Warrana Aboriginal Corporation (MTWAC).
The agreement includes a long-term vision to return the freehold title to the Pairrebeener people.
The arrangement provides a dedicated space on ancestral homelands for cultural gatherings such as Mannalargenna Day, while establishing a permanent operational base for the Tebrakunna Rangers.
“It gave us a physical space to be on Country. Just to be on our ancestral homeland is just so significant,” said Aunty Patsy Cameron AO, MTWAC elder, historian and educator.
“We belong. We can go there to walk, to laugh, to cry, to share, to feel our ancestors and to care for our ancestral lands,” she said.
The joint initiative has already employed 12 people and trained 14 individuals in ecosystem and land management, with plans to expand into local tourism, accommodation, and marine ventures.
The project features prominently in a new industry discussion paper, From Social Licence to Social Value in the Energy Transition, jointly published by the Community Power Agency, PATHMAKER, and RE-Alliance.
The paper argues that Australia’s energy transition must shift beyond mere “community acceptance” to delivering measurable, long-term wellbeing.
Community Power Agency Director Kim Mallee noted that the nation’s rapid shift to renewables will shape regional communities for generations.
“Social value represents a fundamental shift from seeking basic community acceptance to delivering genuine, measurable improvements in people’s lives,” Mallee said.
Musselroe Wind Farm’s Head of Risk, Compliance & Systems, Robert Barbour, added that the collaboration provides reciprocal benefits by integrating cultural heritage expertise directly into project operations and planning.