Bringing opportunities home at Gawara Baya

For Windlab, creating renewable energy projects is about more than generating clean energy. It’s about creating lasting opportunities for the communities who host them. This approach aligns closely with the aspirations of the Gugu Badhun Aboriginal Corporation (GBAC) to deliver economic outcomes for Gugu Badhun on their own Country.  

At Gawara Baya, this commitment is reflected in the Gawara Baya-Gugu Badhun Employment and Training Strategy, co-developed with GBAC and Windlab as part of the Indigenous Land Use Agreement.
The ILUA sets out the Gugu Badhun employment commitments. Rather than making assumptions about how best to meet those commitments and the spirit of the ILUA, Windlab worked alongside GBAC to co-design a strategy that reflects the aspirations, priorities, and long-term goals of the Gugu Badhun people.

Together, the vision is to:

“Empower Gugu Badhun people to build meaningful and valued livelihoods through employment and training opportunities on Country — enabling families to thrive, fostering active engagement in the regional economy, strengthening community contribution, and setting a benchmark for Traditional Owner participation and achievement in renewable energy projects both in Australia and internationally.”

This vision provides the foundation for how employment, training, and business participation will be delivered throughout the life of the project.

Large-scale renewable energy projects create significant opportunities for employment, skills development, and local business growth.

Realising these opportunities requires more than jobs during construction — it requires early engagement, genuine partnership, and a shared commitment to building capability over the long term.

Working alongside GBAC, Windlab’s focus has been to:

• Engage early with Gugu Badhun people to understand aspirations and identify opportunities.
• Support workforce readiness through targeted programs that set people up for long-term participation.
• Create pathways for Gugu Badhun-owned businesses and other First Nations enterprises to participate in the project supply chain.
• Ensuring opportunities reflect community priorities and create lasting benefits beyond the project itself.

By embedding these principles from the outset, the project aims to support meaningful participation throughout development, construction, and operations.

The Gawara Baya-Gugu Badhun Employment and Training Strategy is designed to create benefits that extend well beyond construction.
Its objectives include:

• Increasing employment opportunities for Gugu Badhan people and local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Supporting the growth and participation of Gugu Badhun-owned and other local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses.
• Establishing clear and accessible pathways for contractors to engage with Gugu Badhun people and local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses.
• Building skills, capability, and confidence that supports long-term economic participation.

Importantly, the focus is on building long-term capability, strengthening community participation, and creating opportunities that continue long after the construction phase.

The Gawara Baya-Gugu Badhun Employment and Training Strategy reflects Windlab’s broader approach to renewable energy development — one built on partnership, respect, and shared values.

By working closely with GBAC and drawing on the expertise of APIP, Windlab is helping create pathways that are shaped by community priorities and designed to deliver lasting benefits on Country.

It is an approach that will help maintain an enduring working relationship with GBAC, which is essential to the project’s long-term success.