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Background and Property Ownership

Will Kelly, a resident of Bellevue Hill and member of an exclusive Sydney golf club, owns a large rural property near Yass in New South Wales. His brother, Sam Kelly, owns the neighbouring lot. Both properties have been selected to host a major portion of the proposed Bendenine Wind Farm.

The wind farm project, proposed by developer Wind Prospect, is planned for a site between the towns of Bowning and Binalong. It includes up to 90 turbines, each 260 metres tall. The Kelly brothers’ properties are expected to host a significant number of these turbines.

Private Agreements and Local Discovery

Contracts between Wind Prospect and the Kelly brothers were made privately and became known to neighbouring property owners earlier in the year. Some residents have raised concerns about the lack of transparency, as their properties border turbine sites but were not included in negotiations.

In response to rising local interest, Wind Prospect attended a community meeting on 21 May at Bowning Hall, hosted by the Bowning and District Progress Association. The session was used to introduce the project and provide details to residents.

Community Reaction and Concerns

Several residents have raised questions over the fairness of the arrangements, pointing to potential declines in land value and the visual impact of turbines located near their boundaries.

Public commentary shared online has ranged from objections about environmental and economic concerns to debate over whether such infrastructure should be built in rural areas. Some residents questioned why turbine infrastructure was not placed closer to metropolitan users.

Project Status and Oversight

Wind Prospect maintains that it has engaged with the community in a respectful and transparent manner. The Bendenine Wind Farm remains in its early planning stages, with no formal development application yet lodged.

Officials have confirmed that landholders such as Will and Sam Kelly are within their rights to negotiate private land use agreements, subject to final planning approvals. Wind Prospect has stated it will hand over the project to Mint Renewables at a later stage, though no specific timeframe for this transition has been disclosed.

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There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by either of the Kelly brothers. The focus from nearby residents remains on the broader planning process and how similar arrangements are communicated to the wider community.

Published 24-July-2025

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