The WA Government is committed to the decarbonisation of our economy and keeping electricity affordable. Transforming our electricity system is crucial to achieving these goals and Western Australia’s energy transition is already well underway.
The energy transition will create new opportunities for regional communities hosting renewable infrastructure, including local employment, opportunities for local businesses to participate in supply chains, and community benefits like infrastructure investment - but it will also bring changes to local landscapes.
To ensure host communities realise lasting benefits and economic opportunities from the renewable energy transition, the WA Government, through PoweringWA, is developing a Community Benefits Guideline for renewable energy projects.
Webinar
On Tuesday 15 July, PoweringWA held two webinars around the draft Community Benefit Guideline. The slides from these webinars can be accessed at the link below:
Community Benefits Guideline: For a fair and equitable energy transition
Effective community benefits arrangements promote equitable outcomes and participation by regional communities in the transition. These arrangements empower communities to realise the benefits of hosting energy infrastructure, while also improving investor certainty and reducing delays in project delivery.
This Guideline is intended to help facilitate effective benefits arrangements by providing a tool for developers and communities to refer to when considering such arrangements. They are being developed following discussions between the State Government, project proponents, peak industry bodies, communities, and Local Government Authorities. Each of these stakeholders has recognised the value of a framework to inform the negotiation and development of community benefit arrangements on a case-by-case basis.
Consultation
To ensure the final Guideline is informed by the experience of impacted groups, the State Government is requesting submissions providing feedback on the proposed Guideline.
The WA Government welcomes views from local communities, landholders, local governments, potential and current renewable energy developers and all Western Australians with an interest in the energy transition. PoweringWA, on behalf of the WA Government, is committed to consulting and working with communities to ensure they derive meaningful benefit from the energy transition wherever possible.
Consultations closed at 5:00pm, 18 August 2025.
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