Campaign:
WindPower was a boutique wind energy company (now taken over by Origin Energy) aiming to reduce Victoria’s dependence on coal by providing a clean, renewable alternative. However, there were pockets of strong community opposition to the development of wind farms.
Our Approach:
Socom was engaged to develop a comprehensive consultation strategy to guide community interaction throughout all stages of a wind farm development. The strategy aimed to develop positive and lasting relationships with surrounding landowners, key stakeholders and the broader community.
The strategy focused on ensuring stakeholder views, issues or concerns were captured, acknowledged and addressed as they arose. A variety of mechanisms were also developed to ensure project information was communicated quickly and effectively to all members of the community.
Results:
While pockets of opposition remained strong, the consultation managed to ensure the community was able to access balanced information about the project and able to form an opinion. As a result, research showed the percentage of the community who supported the project grew.
