About
Founded by the Coy family in 1905, Salt Creek Merino Stud is renowned for its product and supplies premium-quality fine merino wool globally.
Since 2006, Director and 3rd generation owner Peter Coy has been working with Tilt Renewables and its predecessors to establish a new venture on the property in the form of a Wind Farm generating renewable energy capable of supplying 30,000 homes with electricity per annum. Construction of the Salt Creek Wind Farm commenced in September 2017 and was completed in late July 2018.
In recognition of the importance of education in our local community, the Salt Creek Wind Farm has established an annual Scholarship of $30K to a deserving local applicant who can illustrate the benefits the Scholarship can offer him/her.
The primary objective of the Scholarship is to provide the opportunity to potential Scholars who might not otherwise be able to manage a tertiary education as a result of the associated costs they face due to living away from home and supporting themselves close to their chosen place of study. Selection is based on personal qualities and demonstrated leadership as well as academic ability. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed and successful candidates announced
A comment from Peter Coy
The Coy family have been farming at Woorndoo since 1905. We feel so fortunate and privileged to have grown up in such a wonderful community and as a member of one of the oldest families in the district, it has long been my wish to leave some form of legacy. At the same time, I’ve experienced enough droughts and commodity collapses to be wary of saddling my children with an obligation that could very well be too much for them to honour. The establishment of a wind farm on Salt Creek with a guaranteed rental income for 25 years plus offers us the opportunity to do this and the security of an ongoing return which we are able to share with the community.
Whilst kids that grow up in the country are lucky in so many ways, once they turn 18 and contemplate tertiary education they are at an enormous disadvantage to their city counterparts. They must find the extra money to pay for accommodation and travel far from home. To assist our outstanding local kids achieve their potential, we propose to gift the rental ongoing from the turbine closest to Woorndoo in the form of an annual Scholarship for accommodation purposes. I’m grateful that the idea was immediately embraced and matched by Tilt Renewables dollar for dollar; we will have a sizable fund to support young scholars from our community in the pursuit of their dreams for years to come.
The directors of the Salt Creek Charitable Trust volunteer their time from busy lives and careers to manage the Salt Creek Wind Farm Scholarship. The rental income will be tax free and so all the money will, each year, assist a local boy or girl into what may be a life changing career. I am delighted and so happy to be able to leave a legacy that on behalf of my family will benefit young people from my community long after I’ve gone.
