Bridging the Policy–Practice Gap in Community Engagement for South Australian Wind Farm Policy for Sustainable Energy Transition

Australia’s rapid Renewable Energy Transition (RET) has been accompanied by persistent community concerns around wind farm siting decisions. Yet Federal, state, and territory governments have developed engagement policies independently to support sustainable community engagement (CE), but the level of engagement and their enforceability remain unclear. These gaps have weakened inclusive decision-making, which is a core part of the social dimension of sustainability. This study compares SA policy with the federal context. The study aims to fulfil two objectives: (I) to compare SA policy with the federal baseline using a Diverge, Extend and Shortfall typology, and (ii) to assess the level of CE using the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Spectrum. Accordingly, ten Federal and SA policy documents (2015–2026) were purposively selected and analysed using document analysis (coded against IAP2). Findings revealed that SA both extends and diverges from federal policy. The Hydrogen and Renewable Energy (HRE) Act 2023 extends federal expectations. None of the ten policies requires engagement beyond the IAP2 Consult level. Several documents aim for collaboration, but their mechanisms only reach consultation. Policymakers should turn stated aims in current policies into enforceable ones, as voluntary aims were not delivered. The study also offers IAP2-based guidance for assessing engagement in energy policy, which can inform future research.