Cooperation and the power of collaboration were the key themes from our industry round table held in Dubbo last week. The round table brought together 16 industry representatives, 3 local council delegates and 2 of our colleagues from the Community Power Agency.
The discussions between these stakeholders in the Central-West Orana REZ development addressed the challenges that are emerging in the region. These challenges include workforce accommodation, skills development and the creation of community benefits in partnership with local government and government bodies like EnergyCo. Such issues are faced by all developers and underline the importance of cooperation and collaboration between stakeholders. All participants agreed that engagement between all stakeholders would also make it easier for local government and government bodies like EnergyCo to manage issues in a more comprehensive and strategic manner.
According to one round table attendee, “The REZ should absolutely have a collaborative element. If we don’t cooperate and coordinate with each other, we shouldn’t be calling this a Renewable Energy Zone. We need to demystify the complexity of the REZ, speak regularly and recognise that if we work together, the REZ will deliver better projects and outcomes overall.”
As NSW’s first REZ, Central-West Orana is a learning ground for large-scale renewable energy development with many stakeholders across industry, government, community and community-based organisations. As discussed in the round table, getting the REZ development right and doing it well means cooperation and collaboration between stakeholders. At RE-Alliance, we are committed to creating platforms for conversations and developing relationships between all stakeholders in the REZ so that, together, we create a legacy that delivers benefits for everyone.