Aboriginal Heritage Act - Goyder North Wind Farm Project

The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is seeking the views of Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal parties about the construction of a large wind farm in South Australia’s Goyder region.

What's being decided?

Neoen Australia Pty Ltd (Applicant) proposes to construct a large-scale wind farm and battery storage facility known as the Goyder North Wind Farm Project (Project) within an area of land comprising approximately 17,700 ha located north of Burra and east of Mount Bryan in South Australia’s Goyder region.

The Project would involve ground disturbing works and other supporting works within the application area to enable the construction of up to 99 wind turbines; two battery storage facilities and substations; and an approximately 48 km long overhead transmission line.

The views of Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal parties are sought to help the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (Minister) decide whether the Applicant should be given authorisations under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (SA) (Act) in relation to the Project.

Background

The Minister, who is responsible for the Act, has received an application for authorisations under sections 21 and 23 of the Act in relation to the Project.

Section 21 of the Act makes it an offence to excavate land for the purpose of uncovering Aboriginal sites, objects and remains (together, heritage) without the Minister’s authorisation, while section 23 of the Act makes it an offence to damage, disturb or interfere with Aboriginal heritage without the Minister’s authorisation.

As the Project would potentially involve ground-disturbing works that may impact, or require excavation of, heritage, the Applicant has sought authorisations under sections 21 and 23 of the Act.

Get involved

Section 13 of the Act requires the Minister to consult with relevant Traditional Owners, the State Aboriginal Heritage Committee (Committee) and any other Aboriginal people or organisations that he considers may have an interest in this matter before he may consider granting any authorisation under the Act.

If you are a Traditional Owner or an interested Aboriginal party, please read the Consultation Information Pack as well as information available on AAR’s website and consider responding to at least the following questions:

  • Should the authorisations sought by the Applicant be granted? Why or why not?
  • If the authorisations are granted, what conditions (if any) should be imposed?
  • Will the Project provide you with any direct or indirect benefits (e.g., cultural, financial or personal)?
  • Are there any other matters the Minister should consider when deciding this application?

If you are a Traditional Owner or interested Aboriginal person and wish to learn more, to lodge a submission and/or be notified once a decision in this matter has been made, you can:

See the Consultation Information Pack for further details on how to lodge a verbal or written submission. Further information can be found on AAR's website.

AAR is available to assist people to record submissions if they have any difficulty in doing so.

Submissions must be received by AAR by Thursday 2 October 2025.

What are the next steps?

You may request that AAR keeps any cultural information in your submission confidential. AAR will facilitate these requests, where possible, in line with procedural fairness principles. Otherwise, AAR will forward your submissions in full to the Applicant for comment. Once the public consultation has closed, AAR will forward your submissions and the Applicant’s comments to the Committee, whose views will also be sought.

AAR will collate all submissions, the Applicant’s responses to them, the Committee’s advice, and its own recommendations to the Minister to make a final decision about the application.

The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is seeking the views of Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal parties about the construction of a large wind farm in South Australia’s Goyder region.

What's being decided?

Neoen Australia Pty Ltd (Applicant) proposes to construct a large-scale wind farm and battery storage facility known as the Goyder North Wind Farm Project (Project) within an area of land comprising approximately 17,700 ha located north of Burra and east of Mount Bryan in South Australia’s Goyder region.

The Project would involve ground disturbing works and other supporting works within the application area to enable the construction of up to 99 wind turbines; two battery storage facilities and substations; and an approximately 48 km long overhead transmission line.

The views of Traditional Owners and other Aboriginal parties are sought to help the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (Minister) decide whether the Applicant should be given authorisations under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 (SA) (Act) in relation to the Project.

Background

The Minister, who is responsible for the Act, has received an application for authorisations under sections 21 and 23 of the Act in relation to the Project.

Section 21 of the Act makes it an offence to excavate land for the purpose of uncovering Aboriginal sites, objects and remains (together, heritage) without the Minister’s authorisation, while section 23 of the Act makes it an offence to damage, disturb or interfere with Aboriginal heritage without the Minister’s authorisation.

As the Project would potentially involve ground-disturbing works that may impact, or require excavation of, heritage, the Applicant has sought authorisations under sections 21 and 23 of the Act.

Get involved

Section 13 of the Act requires the Minister to consult with relevant Traditional Owners, the State Aboriginal Heritage Committee (Committee) and any other Aboriginal people or organisations that he considers may have an interest in this matter before he may consider granting any authorisation under the Act.

If you are a Traditional Owner or an interested Aboriginal party, please read the Consultation Information Pack as well as information available on AAR’s website and consider responding to at least the following questions:

  • Should the authorisations sought by the Applicant be granted? Why or why not?
  • If the authorisations are granted, what conditions (if any) should be imposed?
  • Will the Project provide you with any direct or indirect benefits (e.g., cultural, financial or personal)?
  • Are there any other matters the Minister should consider when deciding this application?

If you are a Traditional Owner or interested Aboriginal person and wish to learn more, to lodge a submission and/or be notified once a decision in this matter has been made, you can:

See the Consultation Information Pack for further details on how to lodge a verbal or written submission. Further information can be found on AAR's website.

AAR is available to assist people to record submissions if they have any difficulty in doing so.

Submissions must be received by AAR by Thursday 2 October 2025.

What are the next steps?

You may request that AAR keeps any cultural information in your submission confidential. AAR will facilitate these requests, where possible, in line with procedural fairness principles. Otherwise, AAR will forward your submissions in full to the Applicant for comment. Once the public consultation has closed, AAR will forward your submissions and the Applicant’s comments to the Committee, whose views will also be sought.

AAR will collate all submissions, the Applicant’s responses to them, the Committee’s advice, and its own recommendations to the Minister to make a final decision about the application.

Page last updated: 22 Aug 2025, 04:06 PM