The Sapphire Wind Farm (SWF) will be the largest in NSW with the tallest turbines in Australia at a height of 200 metres from ground to the tip of the 65-metre-long blade. There will be a total of 75 turbines providing enough clean energy for around 115,000 homes and reducing carbon emissions by 700,000 tonnes annually.
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So far, there have been upgrades to the local road infrastructure, paving the way for the Danish Vestas turbines to start arriving in July.
Apart from energy, there are other benefits to the community:
1. Organizers of the wind farm are opening up a Community Investment Scheme where members of the local community can invest directly in the SWF. If there’s enough interest for it to go ahead it would be the first scheme of its kind in Australia.
2. A SWF Community Benefit Fund will be established in 2018 to distribute around $3.75 million to community organisations and local initiatives across the next 20 years – approximately $187,500 each year.