Published on Wednesday, 17 December 2025 at 1:29:56 PM
At its 16 December 2025 meeting Waroona’s Council made the following declaration -
“The Shire of Waroona supports proper and orderly development of appropriate renewable energy facilities within the District of Waroona.
“This support is constrained by the need to protect the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar Site Wetlands and the Northern Jarrah Forests.
“On this basis wind farms on the Swan Coastal Plains within 25km of the Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar Site Wetlands are not supported unless there is comprehensive scientific evidence safe-guarding this ecosystem. Wind farms within the Northern Jarrah Forests are also not supported in light of the importance of this natural resource and the already prevalent cumulative impacts on these Forests.
In making this statement the Shire is ensuring that wind farm proponents understand the strongly held sentiment of the Waroona community towards protecting the environment.
The Shire of Waroona has approved and supported solar farms and battery storage facilities within its district, acknowledging the role Waroona will play, firstly as a location where energy demand is amongst the highest in the state, and in its connectivity role due to its proximity to Perth and Bunbury.
The Shire of Waroona welcomes the Western Australian Planning Commission’s new draft Renewable Energy Planning Code which incorporates elements that guide the location of wind farms.
The Shire welcomes the draft Code’s stated objective of locating wind farms outside and sufficiently setback from conservation areas, threatened ecological communities, know habitats of threatened species and migration paths of migratory species of birds and bats.
The Peel-Yalgorup Ramsar Site which runs north to south just inland from Preston Beach in the Waroona district, is a haven for many bird species, including some which migrate from Siberia, Russia. The Ramsar “Guidance for addressing the implications for wetlands of policies, plans and activities in the energy sector” (Resolution XI,.10, 2012) recommends adopting “a precautionary approach when energy sector activities may seriously or irreversibly impact Ramsar Wetlands…”.
The Shire concerns about the siting of wind farms also extends into the escarpment to the Shire’s east, in the area known as the northern jarrah forests. These forests have been historically logged and continue to be mined. While they are being rehabilitated, the cumulative impacts on these forests are of deep concern to the Waroona community. Wind farms will lead to permanent removal of forest at the individual turbines as well as through a series of access roads connecting these turbines.
The Shire’s position on siting of wind farms is measured and sensible. In the first instance it takes a precautionary approach via a buffer zone to the Ramsar wetlands in the absence of compelling scientific evidence demonstrating that risks to birds can be adequately mitigated. With regard to the northern jarrah forests the Shire acknowledges that there must be a limit to the damage that can occur to an environment, particularly where the removal of vegetation is permanent.
The Council report dealing with this matter can be found at -
https://www.waroona.wa.gov.au/council-meetings/ordinary-council-meeting/december-ordinary-council-meeting/142/documents/public-agenda-ocm-december-2025.pdf.
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