Frequently asked questions

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FAQ content list

The Cobbora Project is located about 6 kilometres from the village of Cobbora and 20 kilometres south-west of Dunedoo.

Spanning two local government areas (LGAs), Warrumbungle Shire Council and Dubbo Regional Council, the project is bordered to the north by the Golden Highway and to the east by the Spring Ridge Road, Cobbora.

It is located on the site of the Cobbora Coal Mine project, which was proposed for the area in 2014 but did not proceed.

The solar farm will be developed across 1,600 hectares on the 3,000 hectare site, which is mostly grazing land. Its low, undulating landscape makes it ideal for solar farm development. 

The site is located in the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), which is being built to deliver clean and reliable electricity and enable greater sharing of energy between states. The project will connect into the Central West Orana REZ via the future Elong Elong Energy Hub, that will be operated by ACEREZ. It will provide direct access from the site to connect with transmission infrastructure necessary to securely delivery energy from our solar farm and from other nearby renewable energy generators.

Cobbora solar farm and its battery energy storage system (BESS) will be connected to the Central-West Orana REZ via the future Elong Elong Energy Hub, which will be adjacent to the site on the southern boundary.  

The benefits of a BESS allow for storage of solar generated energy at times when it may not be needed and release of this electricity when demand is higher.

Construction is anticipated to start in late 2027, subject to approvals.

Approval from the State and Commonwealth government is required for the project to proceed to construction. Under NSW planning legislation, Cobbora Project is a State Significant Development (SSD) and requires approval from the Minister for Planning. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is currently being prepared and is expected to be publicly exhibited in mid 2025. The Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) will examine potential impacts of the project for Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES).

We expect the solar farm to be operational from 2030.

We intend to investigate maintaining areas of the site for sheep grazing as part of the project.

Core to our values is a commitment to being a good and responsible neighbour, working in partnership with the surrounding community to ensure any disruption and impacts are managed as best as possible, while maximising positive social, environmental and local economic outcomes.

We are currently in the environmental approvals stage and there will be multiple opportunities for the community to have their say on the project.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or feedback to share regarding the Cobbora Project, please contact us on our webform, or by phone on 02 9128 8591.

Cobbora Solar Farm and BESS is currently in the planning and approvals stage. Approval from the State and Commonwealth government is required for the project to proceed to construction. We have undertaken site investigations, environmental and social assessments and early consultation with community, stakeholders and regulatory authorities. The feedback Pacific Partnerships gathered from the community, stakeholders and regulatory authorities helped us to finalise the EIS in early 2025.

More information on the planning approval process including the Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) and other planning documentation can be found on the NSW Government Major Projects portal.