1. The Critical Role of Early and Ongoing Community Engagement

• Suzanne Waddell (VicGrid) emphasized that early, meaningful, and continuous engagement is fundamental, particularly for offshore wind transmission infrastructure. “We need to bring communities along with the ride and ensure they benefit from the energy transition,” she noted. VicGrid adopts a four-phase engagement model, starting with broad community consultation to refine project study areas, ensuring local values shape decision-making from the outset.

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• Sarah Guilfoyle (Voyager Renewables) stressed that trust-building must be embedded from the ground up. “Building trust requires investing time, energy, and resources to understand the needs of the communities we work with. It’s not just about delivering a project—it’s about creating lasting relationships,” she shared. Voyager focuses on local employment, capacity building, and long-term partnerships to ensure communities see tangible benefits.

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• Mary Baker (Acciona Energy) reinforced that community engagement is an ongoing, two-way process. “It’s about integrating ourselves into the community, understanding their needs, and working together to create positive, long-term impacts,” she explained. Acciona incorporates social impact assessments, targeted local employment, and community-led initiatives to ensure alignment with local aspirations.

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2. Key Challenges in Building Trust with Communities

• Consultation fatigue is a growing issue, especially in regions like Gippsland, where multiple large-scale projects are underway. Communities often feel overwhelmed by the volume of consultations and the uncertainty surrounding project timelines.

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• Sarah Guilfoyle pointed out that misinformation and trust gaps are also significant risks, especially in regional areas. “Without timely and clear communication, misinformation spreads rapidly. Transparency is essential to maintaining credibility.”

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• Mary Baker added that balancing project goals with community expectations remains complex, particularly where local industries fear losing workers to renewable projects. Acciona proactively addresses this by embedding local employment and procurement strategies into project planning.

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3. Embedding Long-Term Impact through Sustained, Transparent Collaboration from Planning to Delivery

• VicGrid integrates community surveys, market research, and local feedback throughout project planning, with a strong focus on empathy and emotional intelligence in stakeholder engagement.

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• Voyager Renewables ensures a constant local presence, fostering trust through face-to-face dialogue and community benefit programs designed for lasting impact.

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• Acciona Energy combines in-person consultations, online platforms, and targeted stakeholder roundtables, enhanced by tools like 3D visualizations and site tours to help communities visualize project outcomes.

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Measuring success is critical to ensuring community engagement delivers real impact. Tools like satisfaction surveys, social and economic impact assessments, and tracking community input help ensure tangible outcomes. Looking ahead, building long-term relationships and empowering community-led initiatives will be essential to achieving Australia’s renewable energy goals. Transparent collaboration between developers, governments, and communities is essential to building trust and ensuring long-term positive impacts.