Ngardara Cooperative is a First Nations community-controlled organisation representing the Borroloola community. Its purpose is the improvement of energy security for households and the wider community through access to lower cost, more reliable renewable energy.

With support from Original Power and its Clean Energy Communities Project, Ngardara Cooperative completed a detailed feasibility study in 2022 and project partners are now working together to drive the transition plan from reliance on diesel power to renewable energy for the Borroloola community and surrounding homelands in 2023.

Project partner Original Power is an Aboriginal organisation with extensive experience developing community-owned projects. Original Power is partnering with the Aboriginal community of Borroloola through a collaboration agreement to deliver the solar farm and BESS for Borroloola. The Project is also supported by partners with extensive experience in developing, delivering and financing community capacity building and infrastructure projects.

Our Directors

Luke Mahoney

Luke Mahoney, General Manager

Luke Mahoney is the Special Purpose Vehicle Manager for the Ngardara Project, responsible for overseeing project governance, delivery coordination, and commercial management.

Luke is a Senior Project Manager with extensive experience in the Australian renewable energy and construction sectors, with a strong focus on large-scale commercial and infrastructure-based solar projects. He has managed projects across the full lifecycle, including design coordination, procurement, construction, commissioning, and compliance, working within both EPC and D&C delivery models.

His professional background includes leading multidisciplinary teams of engineers, contractors, suppliers, and consultants, and operating within highly regulated environments that require strict compliance with Australian Standards, WHS legislation, and contractual obligations. Luke has experience working with major commercial, government, and defence clients, where robust governance, risk management, and accountability are critical.

As SPV Manager, Luke supports the Ngardara Project by ensuring strong project controls, transparent stakeholder engagement, and disciplined commercial oversight, while working in partnership with community representatives to help deliver a technically sound, financially viable, and long-term sustainable energy outcome that aligns with community governance, local priorities, and project objectives.

Dr. Naresh Rao, PhD I CEM I CEA, Technical Advisor

Naresh is a Chartered Engineer and a Certified Energy Manager with 14+ years of experience across power generation, renewables, and energy consulting. He spent nearly 8 years in large-scale power plants as a mechanical engineer before transitioning into renewables, energy auditing, and compliance. His work includes techno-economic feasibility studies for green hydrogen, energy modelling, VEU program audits, ISO 50001 strategies, NABERS, and carbon accounting for major APAC corporations. He has completed a PhD in Energy Economics that quintessentially focused on Australia’s National Electricity Market.

Sam Rieger, Commercial Advisor

Sam is an investment professional specialising in investment that enables the transition to a net zero economy across clean energy and electrification, natural capital, and the circular economy. Her career spans investment banking and private capital, with a recent focus on distributed renewable energy investment in Australia. Through her recent work, Sam has been focused on structuring and executing transactions that balance commercial returns with proven environmental impact. Sam is passionate about deploying capital toward clean energy solutions that create economic opportunity and energy security, with a keen interest in projects that enable Indigenous participation.