Minister for Climate Change and Minister for Energy, Penny Sharpe will be in Hay this morning to announce $60 million in community benefits unlocked by the South West Renewable Energy Zone.

The Office of Minister Sharpe said the initial $60 million will soon begin flowing to communities in the South West Renewable Energy Zone to deliver local infrastructure, services and employment opportunities that will support long-term regional prosperity.

Ms Sharpe said the Government is making funding available through the Community and Employment Benefit Program so it can be invested in priorities that matter to local communities, creating lasting benefits that support long-term regional prosperity alongside renewable energy development.

EnergyCo will get input from councils and the community on the funding program’s design.

The Minns Labor Government is also announcing that the eligible funding area has been expanded so benefits can reach towns and centres outside the REZ boundary but still impacted by new infrastructure.

They include Coleambally, Jerilderie and Deniliquin.

Contributions will continue in the coming years from access fees paid by renewable energy projects with an agreement to connect to the new transmission lines in the REZ. They are BayWa r.e., Origin Energy, Someva and AGL, and Spark Renewables.

The funding also supports targeted employment initiatives for young people, returning workers, and people transitioning into renewable energy careers.

“The Renewable Energy Zone will deliver meaningful and lasting benefits for regional communities in the South West as investment starts to flow into communities well before projects come online,” Ms Sharpe said.

“This $60 million in funding from the Minns Labor Government is just the beginning.

“It will be amplified by renewable energy projects in the REZ, and deliver initiatives that will continue to support the region long after construction has finished.

This article appeared in The Riverine Grazier, 10 June 2026.