Australia's largest windfarm wins planning approval

$1bn project in Queensland's Bowen basin to consist of almost 200 turbines

The Queensland government has approved the country's largest windfarm, a $1bn project to build almost 200 turbines in the shadow of the Bowen basin's coalmines.

The 800-megawatt Clarke Creek project, in cattle country north-west of Rockhampton, received planning approval on Tuesday morning. The company behind the project, Lacour Energy, says it will create about 350 jobs during three years of construction and has the capacity to provide 3% of the generation required to power the entire state. It also includes a solar component.