A Year in a Review for the Wind Farm Action Group

It’s been a long year for the Whitsundays Wind Farm Action Group, with community campaigning, changes to Alinta Energy’s Mt Challenger proposal and a council refusal marking a fight residents say is far from over.

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The announcement of Alinta Energy’s Mt Challenger Wind Farm proposal in October 2025 captured the attention of the wider community and prompted residents near the proposed sites to question what turbines could mean for their homes and farms.

In the months that followed, residents organised meetings, wrote submissions and sought answers about potential impacts on their properties, farming operations and the environment. A petition opposing the proposal gathered more than 6,000 signatures.

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The group says transparency was a concern from the outset, with residents reporting they were initially told both wind farm sites were needed for the project to be viable and that Alinta was not pursuing solar in the area.

By July, the proposal had changed, with Alinta withdrawing plans for turbines across the southern section at Crystal Brook and Kelsey Creek after six months of wind monitoring found insufficient wind resources.  

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"This is a very significant deal for our community today," said Alysha Lee, member of the Whitsundays wind farm action group at the time of the withdrawal.  

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"Our family was two weeks away from moving back into our renovated farmhouse when we got this letter in the mail telling us about this elusive Mt Challenger wind farm.

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“We haven't enjoyed a single day in our newly renovated house without the threat of a wind farm encroaching on our home."

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The 23rd September saw next milestone, with Whitsunday Regional Council unanimously refused Alinta’s application for a 160-metre meteorological mast intended to measure wind conditions in the northern project area.  

“For me, it came down to the size and visibility of the structure, the rural character of the area and what we heard from the people who live there,” said Whitsunday Mayor Ry Collins after the decision.  

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“After weighing all of that up, I wasn’t satisfied that a structure of that scale in that location was the right planning outcome.”

With those milestones behind them, the group is now calling on Alinta to withdraw the remaining northern proposal near Bowen, saying families there deserve the same relief felt by southern neighbours.

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“Dropping one section of the project does not erase that stress or resolve it for those still affected,” the group said.

“Our position has not changed, as this is still the wrong location for a wind farm.”

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The group is also awaiting the final version of Council’s proposed Community Benefit Agreement Policy, hoping it will set clearer expectations for developers and ensure the needs of residents living alongside major energy projects are properly considered.

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While welcoming the progress achieved over the past year, the group remained steadfast in its campaign.

“We will continue to keep people informed, raise questions, and share concerns,” the group said, thanking the community for its ongoing support.

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