In development since 2006, the proposed $1.7 billion Golden Plains Wind Farm would sprawl across 167 square kilometres of farmland near the small town of Rokewood in southwest Victoria, about 40km south of Ballarat.

The wind farm would consist of 228 turbines – each standing 230m tall at their highest point, and will have an energy generation capacity of between 800MW and 1000MW.

According to planning documents, the wind farm would produce up to 3500 gigawatt-hours of energy a year – equal to the average annual energy consumption of at least 450,000 homes.

The project’s proponents, the German-backed, Gisborne-based company West Wind Energy says it hopes to begin construction sometime next year, but the project still requires planning approval from the Andrews state government. A planning panel will consider the proposal at a hearing due to begin on July 30.

The planning documents state that if the project gets the green light, the wind farm would begin to operate by 2021 and be in full flight by 2025. It would then be decommissioned and pulled down sometime after 2050.