Community Benefits
community benefits program
We believe in sharing the benefits of renewable energies with the communities we operate in.
The Community Benefits Sharing Program will provide significant, meaningful benefits to communities around the Western Downs Green Power Hub.
COMMUNITY BENEFIT FUND
We have committed $100,000 to be available per year through a grants process for local community projects within areas surrounding the Western Downs solar farm
Support for Indigenous Initiatives
We are working with the Barunggam Traditional Owners on employment initiatives and other ideas.
APPLY FOR A GRANT
- The 2023 Community Grants Program is open to applications from Wednesday, 1 November 2023 to Tuesday, 5 December 2023. Unfortunately, we cannot accept late applications.
- The program targets the local areas surrounding our Western Downs solar farm. This includes the towns of Dalby, Chinchilla, Kogan, Tara and Miles and surrounding areas.
- Applications are completed online, and managed by the Community Enterprise Foundation.
- The Community Benefit Fund Advisory Committee will assess your application and tell you what they decide.
- When your grant project is complete, you must give us a report. The report needs to include project highlights, photos and/or media, and a grant acquittal which details how you spent the funds.
ARTWORK
Neoen, under its Sustainability Framework, has a commitment to create an artwork on all its projects with a capacity of over 50 MW. The artwork must celebrate renewable energy and local culture.
The Operations & Maintenance (O&M) office at the Western Downs Green Power Hub project site is proudly showcasing the artwork commissioned by Neoen and incorporating designs from two local artists – Charlie Chambers Jnr & Tanya Kirkegaard.
Titled “Powering Life”, the artwork portrays the significance of the sun through the Bunya nut, as both a source of renewable energy harvested by our solar farm and as a giver of life to native flora and fauna such as the blue tongue lizard, bandy bandy snake, emu, koala, kangaroo, ants, and bees. It also depicts the Condamine River, which is an important shared resource for various First Nations groups in the region.
Tanya Kirkegaard is an artist and Bigambul woman from Goondiwindi. Charlie Chambers Jnr is an artist from the Jarowair tribe of the Toowoomba, Dalby, and the Bunya Mountain region.
Both artists were guided in their creative process by Barunggam Elder Averil Dillon. Neoen was supported in this project by arts project management company, Onespace.
We were delighted to have Neoen sponsor Dalby’s Delicious & DeLIGHTful Festival again in 2023. Their contribution assisted the Community celebrate its diversity with a range of very successful activities including the Flag Parade, the Multicultural Dance Competition, Colour Blast Glow in the Dark Edition fun run and the spectacular Lantern Parade just to name a few. Thank you Neoen!
Judy Webster
