Lower Wonga solar farm plans lodged with Gympie council

Plans for a 263ha solar farm that could power tens of thousands of Queensland homes have reached Gympie council after record-fast federal backing.

The developers behind a new solar farm proposed at Lower Wonga and championed by the federal government have taken a crucial step forward by starting things moving with the Gympie Regional Council.

The developers behind a new solar farm proposed at Lower Wonga and championed by the federal government have taken a crucial step forward by starting things moving with the Gympie Regional Council.

ZEN Energy plans to build the Hookey Creek Solar Farm on 263ha of vacant land about 30km northwest of Gympie, in a locality already home to several other large scale renewable energy projects.

The land is situated along the Wide Bay Highway, across the road from the Woolooga Substation.

The solar farm, expected to be able to power up to 40,000 homes across Queensland when built, made headlines in early July when the federal Labor government announced it had granted its own environmental approvals for the project after only 17 days.

ZEN Energy’s proposal included the 100MW solar farm and a 200MW battery.

The project was lodged with the council on August 8, and no decision has been made yet by the organisation.

The plans will likely also need to be assessed by the state government as part of the approval process.

ZEN Energy’s plan is reportedly to start construction in 2027, and for the farm to be running by 2029.