Goulburn River Solar Farm celebrates with cultural sod turn ceremony
On July 14th, 2025, DT Infrastructure came together with Lightsource bp to mark a key moment in the Goulburn River Solar Farm project with a traditional sod-turning ceremony.
Held in the Upper Hunter Region of NSW, the event recognises the cultural importance of the site and the strong partnership driving this major renewable energy initiative.
It was a privilege to have local Elder Uncle Glen Morris lead a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, followed by a traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island storytelling performance from Waagan Galga. Uncle Glen gave a moving speech about indigenous issues, the importance of local community and first nations practices.
With the valued support of the Wanaruah Local Aboriginal Land Council and Blackrock Industries, the ceremony was a meaningful way to honour the land’s traditions and mark the beginning of construction.
Senior leaders from Lightsource bp and DT Infrastructure were in attendance to celebrate the occasion.
Paul Phelan, the Director of Delivery APAC, at Lightsource bp explained how this was not only Lightsource’s biggest project in Australia, but also for the Asia-Pacific region and our global portfolio.
“We are proud of this partnership with DT Infrastructure, as we see their alignment with our values and what we are trying to do here today, by bringing renewable energy to life in Australia and contributing to the energy transition. We are really looking forward to the project ahead.”
Lightsource bp Director of Development Nick Robb, commented on how the journey of this project has taught them a lot about the history of the land, the tens of thousands of years of indigenous stewardship and two hundred years of productive grazing.
“Now we’re here with renewable energy production, to move the land into another phase”, said Nick. “This project is a wonderful example of where producing energy from our sun can also sit in harmony with conservation. We’ve got 1200 hectares of biodiversity stewardship scheme, so beyond the envelope of the solar farm itself, we are conserving native vegetation in perpetuity.”
DT Infrastructure’s NSW Operations Manager, Con Boutsikakis, shared similar views about the significance of this project and the journey with Lightsource bp.
“It’s a signature project for DT Infrastructure and we’re really proud to be here,” Con stated. “As we start to mobilise, it is important that we respect the land that we are on and be good neighbours. We need to be respectful every day for what we do and make sure we minimise the effects of our presence here.”
NSW General Manager Kurt Vella echoed Con’s sentiments.
“As I think of my key takeaway for today, it is about respect. From the first dance, the smoking ceremony, let’s all leave today with the notion of respect. Respect of the country, the nature, the waterway, our custodians and respecting each other as we work on the significant parts in the coming months.”
Once complete, the solar farm will generate enough renewable energy to power 225,000 homes and reduce carbon emissions by over 900,000 tonnes annually. The project is now underway and is expected to continue for 27 months, creating up to 350 jobs during the construction period.
DT Infrastructure is proud to be delivering the engineering, procurement, and construction of this landmark project, helping to build a cleaner and more renewable future for Australia.
