Renewable energy company SunCable, backed by billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, on Monday signed a 70-year agreement with traditional owners of Janigirulu, Bamayu, and the Walanypirri, and the Northern Land Council to set up Australia’s largest solar farm in the Northern Territory outback.
Under the multi-million dollar agreement, SunCable is planning to build a 12,000-hectare solar farm on Powell Creek Station, south of Elliott.
SunCable ensured that the cultural knowledge and connections of the people would be protected, while the project would generate multi-generational wealth for the region’s Aboriginal traditional owners.
A Welcome Move:
Welcoming the project, Bamayu traditional owners said it would benefit future generations in the future.
Also, Northern Land Council (NLC) chairman, Matthew Ryan, referred to the agreement as a genuine partnership between big business and traditional owners. He said that the Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory are open for business to grow the territory.
According to the details, the 70-year-long agreement was finalized after three years of negotiations between SunCable and around 200 traditional owners. Over 70 meetings took place across the vast region.
What SunCable Promised?
SunCable’s chief executive, Ryan Willemsen-Bell, assured that the project would offer long-term community benefits to the region. He added that the project would generate cost-effective, large-scale renewable energy and position the Northern Territory as a leader in the clean energy transition.
Bell also confirmed that the firm aims to power parts of the NT in the coming years.
Earlier in 2024, the NT government approved the project. The then-federal environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, had though issued strict conditions for the firm to protect critical habitats and native species.
Now, the firm said that a new agreement with the traditional owners has been signed, where their cultural knowledge and connections to land will be protected.
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