Recent local council elections across New South Wales have revealed widespread support for large-scale wind and solar energy developments in the state’s renewable energy zones.
Analysis of election results indicates that a significant majority of voters either actively support or do not strongly oppose local renewable energy projects.
In Wollongong, where debates about offshore wind development have been prominent, Labor and the Greens candidates, who supported the proposed project, secured over two-thirds of the mayoral vote.
Their support increased by 12 per cent and 10 per cent respectively compared to the previous election.
The Hunter region, despite experiencing a vocal anti-wind farm campaign, saw little electoral traction for opponents of renewable energy.
No anti-offshore wind farm candidates secured a quota, although postal vote counting is still pending.
Broken Hill’s incumbent mayor, a strong advocate for a local large-scale renewable energy project, witnessed a substantial increase in support, with primary votes rising from 54 per cent to 70 per cent.
Sophia Walter, Deputy Director of Solutions for Climate Australia, commented on the election results, stating: “This is great news for the fast and fair rollout of renewables.
“If there was extensive public opposition to local solar and wind energy projects, the Liberals’ absence from many local council elections would have spelled greater support for opposing candidates.
“Instead, from Broken Hill to Wollongong, we saw a growth in support for the most vocal supporters of local renewable developments.”
Walter added: “Political parties and independents should sit up and take notice – time after time we see that the vast majority of the public wants to see more clean, affordable solar and wind energy in our electricity market.”
Currently, renewable energy accounts for an average of 40 per cent of electricity generation in Australia.
The government has set an ambitious target of 82 per cent renewables by 2030.
These election results come as NSW continues to expand its renewable energy infrastructure.
The state recently announced plans to double the size of its first renewable energy zone in the Central West Orana region, increasing its capacity from 3 GW to 6 GW.
This expansion aims to ensure sufficient wind, solar, and storage capacity to replace retiring coal-fired generators.
As NSW progresses towards its clean energy goals, these local election results suggest that the transition to renewable energy enjoys broad public support across the state’s diverse communities.
