Article
Robbins Island Wind Farm Approved with Varied Reactions
The Australian Government has approved the construction of a new wind farm on Robbins Island, Tasmania.
The decision, announced today by Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt, comes with supposedly significant environmental conditions to protect vulnerable species. This approval has been met with a mix of strong support from government, industry and business groups, and sharp criticism from environmental advocates.
Proponents, including the Australian and Tasmanian governments, the state’s Labor opposition, Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its subsidiary Clean Energy Tasmania hail the project as a major step forward for renewable energy, jobs and the economy. They emphasise its potential to power over 422,000 homes, create hundreds of jobs, and attract billions in private investment.
Conversely, environmental groups like the Bob Brown Foundation and the Tasmanian Greens have condemned the approval, calling it an “abrogation of responsibility” and a “shameful decision.”
They argue that the project poses an unacceptable risk to critically endangered species like the orange-bellied parrot, the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle, and the last disease-free population of Tasmanian devils. They also raise concerns about the impact on Palawa cultural heritage and migratory birds, arguing that the island is the “worst possible place” for such a development. These groups criticise the government for prioritising corporate interests over environmental protection and warn of the industrialisation of northern Tasmania.
Media release – Senator the Hon Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water, 29 August 2025
More renewables and environmental protections for Tasmania
Today, in line with national environment law, I have approved a new wind farm on Robbins Island in northwest Tasmania, with significant additional environmental conditions attached.
The wind farm is expected to generate enough energy to power 422,000 homes, supporting Australia’s renewable energy transition.
It has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3.4 million tonnes per annum, equivalent to taking more than 1 million cars off the road each year.
The approved proposal includes the construction and operation of a wind farm with up to 100 wind turbine generators, and associated infrastructure including a bridge between Robbins Island and mainland Tasmania, a wharf and four quarries.
Today’s decision takes into account a wide range of expert scientific evidence and follows a rigorous assessment process, including an initial assessment and conditioned approval by the Tasmanian Government.
The decision includes strict conditions from both the Tasmanian and Australian Governments to ensure this project will be constructed and operated in a way that safeguards nationally protected species.
This includes the Orange-bellied Parrot, Tasmanian Devil, Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle and protected migratory shorebirds.
The Australian Government has imposed comprehensive conditions, beyond those previously imposed by the Tasmanian Government.
These include additional conditions to mitigate and manage risks to the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrot and to enhance conservation outcomes for the species.
These conditions require:
-
- Comprehensive surveys for three years prior to construction, which will provide a significant amount of new information about the species, such as how it uses and flies over the island, to inform ongoing risk management during operations.
- The proponent to provide funding support for the NRE Tasmania Orange-bellied Parrot conservation program, to continue rebuilding its population.
- A commitment to improve conservation outcomes for the Orange-bellied Parrot through new measures such as research and land management activities.
- Before the wind farm can begin generation, the Australian Government conditions also require the proponent to develop and implement a Bird and Bat Management Plan to evaluate, mitigate and manage the risks of turbine collision for threatened birds. Management actions may include curtailment or shutdown of all or some turbines under an adaptive management framework.
The Australian Government has also endorsed conditions set by the Tasmanian Government that require the installation of barriers to avoid Tasmanian Devils from the mainland getting to the island and transmitting Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). In addition, the Australian Government has added a condition for the proponent to secure 1,164 ha on Robbins Island for habitat, and to implement a DFTD Prevention and Monitoring Program to enable any early detection.
Conditions have also been added to protect Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagles nesting on the island. Building on State approval requirements, the Australian Government conditions will require no wind turbines and other infrastructure be constructed within 1km of a Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagle nest. And an Eagle Monitoring and Management Plan will be implemented to provide a framework to detect, report and mitigate any impacts to the eagle population on the island.
Lastly, the State conditions contain a range of measures to protect migratory species, like the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, and the Australian Government conditions endorse these requirements.
Construction is expected to commence in 2031, with the project to support up to 350 direct jobs in construction and up to 50 ongoing operational jobs.
Media release – Nick Duigan MP, Minister for Energy and Renewables, 29 August 2025
Robbins Island decision brings certainty for Tasmania
The Tasmanian Government welcomes today’s decision regarding the Robbins Island wind farm approval.
Minister for Energy Nick Duigan said proponents and the community have been looking forward to certainty on this project for a long time.
“It will create hundreds of jobs for our regions and provide clean, affordable energy for Tasmania and support the nation to reduce our global emissions,” Duigan said.
“Today’s federal decision provides the certainty proponents need to keep progressing this project.
“These are the kinds of new renewable energy developments we want in the state to underpin our energy needs, as we continue to grow as a state and increasingly electrify our households and economy.
“The uncertainty over the decision has been frustrating for many Tasmanians, with the Federal environmental decision delayed seven times.
“The Tasmanian EPA approvals were concluded in December 2022, which determined t the project can be managed in an environmentally sustainable and acceptable manner, with certain conditions.
“The project has been through a very rigorous assessment process and the community can have confidence in the outcome.”
Project proponents, ACEN Australia, say this project will have 900MW capacity and at $3 billion will be one of the largest private investments in Tasmania.
Through jobs and procurement, ACEN expects the project to generate $600 million into the Tasmanian economy during construction, and more than $30 million each year for the next 25 years once operational.
Media release – Josh Willie MP, Labor Leader; Janie Finlay MP, Deputy Labor Leader, Shadow Minister for Energy & Renewables, 29 August 2025
Labor welcomes Robbins Island decision
Labor warmly welcomes today’s federal approval of the Robbins Island Wind Farm Project, a critical milestone for Tasmania’s clean energy future and a project Labor has strongly supported from the start.
Tasmania has some of the best wind resources in the country, yet under the current government we’ve squandered our head start. Tasmania has fallen behind in clean energy investment and not been able to realise the thousands of safe, secure, well-paid jobs because the government had failed to plan, build, and back billions of dollars in new generation.
Robbins Island is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock that potential. The $3 billion project will create hundreds of jobs during construction, attract billions of dollars of investment, and help to power industries that will shape Tasmania’s future.
The project will deliver up to 900MW of clean energy, which is the equivalent output of two Gordon Power stations. It has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3.4 million tonnes per annum, equivalent to taking more than 1 million cars off the road each year.
Today’s decision marks a major step forward after years of missed opportunities.
Since 2020, not a single new wind farm has come online in Tasmania. In that time, we’ve gone from being a national leader in renewables to falling behind South Australia – losing out on investment in clean fuels and being forced to rely on gas and imported coal-fired electricity.
Renewable energy is Tasmania’s superpower and holds the key to supercharging our economy for decades to come. We can’t afford to waste this economic opportunity any longer.
Tasmania’s energy future should be built right here, using local resources and local jobs. With this approval, we can now get on with delivering that future.
Labor will continue to back renewable energy projects like Robbins Island – because they’re good for jobs, good for industry, and essential to lowering emissions.
Media release – Clean Energy Tasmania, 29 August 2025
Clean Energy Tasmania welcomes federal approval for Robbins Island renewable project
Clean Energy Tasmania has welcomed the Federal Government’s approval of the Robbins Island wind farm, calling it a landmark step for Tasmania’s clean energy future.
CET Chair Ian Jones said the approval provided certainty for one of the nation’s most significant renewable developments.
“This decision reflects the growing recognition that Tasmania’s clean energy resources are world-class, and that projects of this scale are essential if we are to meet both national and global decarbonisation goals,” Jones said.
“Developments of this nature are never simple. They require rigorous assessment and consultation. The approval of Robbins Island demonstrates that the process can deliver both strong environmental safeguards and a pathway for major renewable investment.”
Jones said the project would create a foundation for Tasmania to continue its role as a renewable energy leader.
“With global demand for clean energy and green manufacturing growing by the day, this project sends a signal that Tasmania is open for business. It builds confidence for future investment, supports new supply chains, and underpins our state’s long-term energy security.”
Clean Energy Tasmania congratulated the project proponents, local communities, and governments at all levels for working through what has been a long and complex process.
“This approval represents nearly a decade of effort. It shows that with persistence, collaboration, and a commitment to getting the balance right, Tasmania can deliver projects that drive economic growth while protecting the natural environment,” Jones said.
Media release – Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 29 August 2025
Robbins Island approval delivers jobs, investment, and economic certainty
The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has welcomed today’s Federal Government approval of the Robbins Island wind farm.
TCCI Chief Executive Michael Bailey said the approval was a vote of confidence in Tasmania’s economy.
“This is an absolute game-changer for Tasmania and one of the largest private investments our State has ever seen,” Bailey said.
“It will create hundreds of jobs during construction as well as ongoing opportunities throughout the state’s supply chains.
“For Tasmanian businesses this means work, contracts, and growth. From civil construction to transport, manufacturing, hospitality, and tourism, the economic ripple effect will be immense.”
Bailey said the business community had been calling for greater certainty around major projects.
“The approval of Robbins Island is a reminder of what can be achieved when governments and business work together. This gives Tasmanian employers confidence to invest, expand, and take on more staff.
“Importantly, it also positions Tasmania as a magnet for new industries that want reliable access to clean, renewable power. That will mean not just construction jobs today, but ongoing employment in advanced manufacturing and green exports tomorrow.”
The TCCI congratulated ACEN and the State and Federal Governments on making a decision that will unlock major economic benefits for Tasmania.
Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 29 August 2025
Albanese’s anti-environment credentials on display with Robbins Island decision
“As expected, Prime Minister Albanese has sent his anti-environment emissary, Minister Murray Watt, to sign the death warrant for the magnificent ecosystem of Robbins Island. The prime minister has made clear he wants to fast-track energy developments and remove so-called ‘green-tape’. Tragically for the Orange-bellied Parrot, that removal puts the hundred remaining birds on death row,” said Christine Milne, Bob Brown Foundation Patron.
“Robbins Island should never have been accepted as the site for a mega-windfarm of 100 turbines because it is at the southern end of the East Asian Australian flyway. Migratory birds flying from Arctic Siberia will hit the turbines,” said Milne.
“Murray Watt’s assurances that he will set strict conditions are a joke. The Tasmanian EPA set conditions that the turbines shut down for five months of the year to protect the Orange-bellied Parrot and migratory species. However, when the multinational Philippine corporation ACEN objected, the decision was overturned. When corporations tell this
Albanese government to jump, it asks ‘how high?’ From Murujuga with Woodside to Macquarie Harbour with JBS and Cooke, to Robbins Island with ACEN, anything the company wants, it gets.”
“Even more offensive is that ACEN will pay for the bird monitoring as if anyone would believe the corporation would release the truth about its impact on critically endangered birds.”
“The last disease-free population of Tasmanian Devils in Tasmania is on Robbins Island, and the bridge ACEN will build from the mainland will see the disease reach the island,” said Milne.
“Make no mistake, the productivity roundtable was designed to soften up the Australian community to the idea that nature is dispensable in the rollout of renewable energy. Nothing could be more wrong. The Robbins Island wind farm decision is just the beginning of the industrialisation of northern Tasmania, enabled by Marinus Link and the northwest transmission line paid for by the public.”
“It is neither ecologically sound nor economically viable, and Bob Brown Foundation will continue to oppose Robbins Island wind farm, Marinus and its transmission lines in the defence of nature,” said Milne.
Media Release – Vica Bayley MP, Tasmanian Greens; Senator Peter Whish-Wilson; Senator Nick McKim, 29 August 2025
Greens Condemn Robbins Island Windfarm Approval
Vica Bayley MP, Tasmanian Greens Environment Spokesperson:
The Greens condemn the Federal Government’s approval of the Robbins Island windfarm as an abrogation of its responsibility to protect endangered species, and yet another example of the need for environmental law reform.
A place of Palawa cultural heritage, important area for migratory birds and home to disease-free devil population – Pilitika / Robbins Island is the worst possible place anyone could build a windfarm.
Scientists and community representatives have long-raised concerns about the damage a windfarm would do to the native wildlife of the area, but they’ve been consistently ignored and again dismissed today.
In a changing climate renewable energy generation is a big part of the solution, but as with any industrial development, it can’t come at the expense of the survival of endangered wildlife and irreplaceable Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Despite its Aboriginal significance, this project was assessed against Aboriginal Heritage laws that over four years ago, the Tasmanian Government accepted are flawed and promised to fix.
In the Parliament, we won’t rest until we have laws which properly protect the Tasmanian environment and Palawa heritage values.
Senator for Lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson:
This project poses serious risks to tumour-free endangered Tasmanian devils on Robbins Island, critically endangered orange bellied parrots, and other migratory birds who rest and nest here.
Just because a farmer puts up their hand to have a wind farm on their property doesn’t mean it’s an appropriate place to locate massive wind turbines and industrial infrastructure.
The approval of this obviously inappropriate project will only serve to undermine community confidence in our already flailing roll-out of renewable energy and give strength to the pro-fossil fuel interests working against the critically needed clean energy transition.
We need a clean energy transition to large-scale renewable projects to meet our climate targets, but this shameful decision undermines that cause.
Today is a dark day for Minister Watt and the renewable energy industry in Australia, but this is not over yet – the Greens will work tirelessly to get answers to dubious approval conditions that apply to the project, including a bird management plan and how the proponent intends to offset the loss of significant Tasmanian devil habitat.
Senator Nick McKim, Greens Forests Spokesperson:
Of course we need more renewable energy projects, but this is the wrong project in the wrong place.
This project will have massive impacts on biodiversity and threatened species, including the critically endangered Orange-bellied parrot, the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle and the endangered Tasmanian Devil.
Robbins Island is critical habitat for migratory birds, and has been identified by the Commonwealth as being suitable for an International Ramsar listing.
It is the southern end of the East Asian Australasian flyway, which runs from the Arctic to Tasmania and is integral to some of the most profound bird migrations in the world.
Its habitats, landscapes and seascapes should be protected under international conventions not exploited for profit by a multinational corporation.
Tasmanian Times (TT) is a community-based news and current affairs service covering the island state of Tasmania. It exists to provide a diverse view of Tasmanian issues. TT creates and supports independent media content utilising the best of modern technologies and tried-and-true practices of public-interest journalism.
Support us in expanding our coverage and developing new content by and for Tasmanians.
New initiatives on the way include:
- a weekly podcast covering current affairs
- a revamped website
- a monthly cartoon competition
- a user-friendly app for both Android and Apple devices
- a weekly roundup of key stories