One Nation Now Represents Two of Australia’s Best Wind and Solar Regions, and They Think It’s a Scam

Why It Matters

Control of a region containing over 200 renewable projects gives One Nation a platform to reshape Australia’s clean‑energy rollout, creating policy uncertainty for investors and state‑level decarbonisation targets.

Key Takeaways

• One Nation captured Farrer with 57% two‑candidate‑preferred vote.
• Electorate contains 203 wind, solar and battery projects.
• Party aims to scrap renewable targets, replace with fossil‑fuel plants.
• Funding includes mining magnate Gina Rinehart, whose mines use renewables.
• Opposition could delay EnergyConnect and VNI West transmission projects.

Pulse Analysis

The Farrer victory marks a rare parliamentary foothold for One Nation in Australia’s green‑energy landscape. Historically a fringe, anti‑immigration party, One Nation has leveraged populist rhetoric to challenge climate policy, positioning itself alongside the Nationals and Liberals in opposing the Renewable Energy Target. Backed by mining tycoon Gina Rinehart—whose own operations rely heavily on wind and solar—the party’s platform now includes a pledge to halt new renewable projects and replace them with fossil‑fuel infrastructure, a stance that could reverberate through federal and state legislatures.

South‑West New South Wales is a strategic hub for the nation’s energy transition. The Renewable Energy Zone hosts 156 projects at various development stages, with 203 located within Farley’s electorate alone. Critical transmission corridors—Project EnergyConnect linking South Australia to the eastern grid and the VNI West line to Victoria—are essential for moving renewable power to demand centers. Any policy shift that threatens these projects could delay the de‑carbonisation timeline, increase reliance on imported energy, and raise costs for businesses seeking stable, low‑carbon electricity.

Investors are watching the political fallout closely. While One Nation’s anti‑renewable rhetoric may appeal to certain voter segments, it introduces regulatory risk for developers and financiers of wind, solar and battery projects. The paradox of Rinehart’s own mines achieving 80% renewable penetration underscores the market’s move toward clean power for cost resilience. Should the party succeed in dismantling incentives like the RET or the Safeguard Mechanism, project pipelines could stall, prompting a shift toward more capital‑intensive fossil alternatives. The outcome will shape Australia’s ability to meet its 2030 emissions goals and maintain competitiveness in the global clean‑energy market.