Clean energy for Yarrabah

Yarrabah’s Clean Energy Plan

Located in Far North Queensland, Yarrabah is Australia’s largest Aboriginal community. The community has created a plan for a new renewable energy system. Their goal is to make power cheaper, more reliable, and better for the environment for the 4,000 people who live there.

Right now, Yarrabah often has power outages that last longer than in cities. 

Yarrabah is located near the coast and powerlines connecting the community to Queensland’s electricity grid often get damaged during storms. The damaged lines can be hard to repair and power outages make everyday life harder, especially when people rely on electricity for things like health care, school, and banking.

To fix this, the community worked with energy experts to design a microgrid project—a local energy system that uses solar power and batteries. 

The Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council helped lead the project, with support from the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, the Queensland Government, and Energy Queensland.

More than 85 First Nations representatives from 51 organisations helped shape the plan.

Planned features include:

• A big community battery and smart control system
• Solar panels and batteries for homes
• Energy-saving upgrades to social housing
• Help for families to save energy
• Electric transport options
• Community education about energy use

The “Empower Yarrabah” microgrid will bring many benefits, including:

• Lower power bills for families
• More reliable electricity for homes and services
• At least 35 new local jobs
• Training and skill-building for community members
• Better health and well-being for residents

What’s next?

The Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council is applying for funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to help pay for the project. They’re also looking for partners to support the next steps. Once built, the microgrid will give Yarrabah more control over its energy and long-term benefits for the whole community.