Information for Developers: Community Benefits Plan Pilot
PoweringWA is currently delivering the Community Benefits Plan Pilot to assist communities and developers in implementing the Community Benefits Guideline. The Pilot is focused on two initial areas within the South West Interconnected System (SWIS): the Central Coast region, including the Shire of Dandaragan and Victoria Plains, and the Southern Wheatbelt region, including the Shires of Narrogin and West Arthur. Resources and learnings from the Pilot will be shared with developers to support them in aligning with the Guideline.
Community Benefits Plans
Community Benefits Plans support communities to articulate a clear and strategic approach to benefits, ensuring they are place-based, meaningful, and supported by streamlined decision‑making. Plans are designed through community workshops, which include representatives from a cross-section of the local community. Developers are encouraged to engage with the local community and actively participate in the workshops to support the development of effective Plans.
Community Benefits Plans Pilot
The Pilot is supporting the rollout of the Guideline by developing Community Benefits Plans in the Shires of Narrogin, West Arthur, Victoria Plains and Dandaragan. PoweringWA will work with these communities to deliver Plans that align benefits funding with locally identified priorities and deliver positive social, cultural and economic outcomes for local communities, demonstrating the effectiveness of the model. Ultimately, the Pilot will test and refine the Community Benefits Plan process to ensure it supports the best possible outcomes for communities affected by new renewable projects in the SWIS.
Stay up to date
Want to keep up to date as the Pilot progresses? Follow the link below to sign up to our Community Benefits Plan Pilot mailing list.
Resources for developers
As part of the Pilot program, PoweringWA will provide a template Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for developers to use to demonstrate their commitment to adhering to the Guideline. This document is expected later this year. In the meantime, developers should consider publicly committing to adhering to the Guideline via a commitment statement on their project website. To assist you, a sample commitment statement that can be adapted for your project is provided here:
<DEVELOPER NAME> is committed to ensuring the delivery of meaningful and enduring benefits for the community, informed by the needs and priorities of local people. We acknowledge that the Western Australian State Government’s Community Benefits Guideline was released in March 2026, and we are committed to aligning with the Guideline. This includes applying the relevant dollar‑per‑megawatt contribution outlined in the Guideline to <PROJECT NAME>, with a focus on delivering genuine, place‑based community benefits. As the Community Benefits Guideline Plan Pilot progresses, <DEVELOPER NAME> will continue to engage with the State Government to support best‑practice implementation of the Guideline.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Information to support developers to better understand the Guideline and Pilot program.
Find out more
If you have questions, concerns or need help to find more information, please email our PoweringWA Community Support team at PoweringWAsupport@deed.wa.gov.au.
Community Benefits Guideline
PoweringWA has released the Community Benefits Guideline to support communities hosting new energy infrastructure to realise meaningful benefits from WA’s energy transition.
Pilot Information for Community
Information about the Community Benefits Plan Pilot for communities in participating Shires.
Pilot Information for Local Governments
Information about the Community Benefits Plan Pilot for Local Governments in the South West Interconnected System.