Better internet, fewer feral pigs: Renewable developers join forces with locals to make lasting change

Work is underway on a major telecommunications upgrade that will improve internet and mobile phone access for locals in Queensland’s Isaac region, as part of a package of “practical community initiatives” put together by locals and backed by a team of renewable energy developers.

Squadron Energy, Iberdrola Australia and CS Energy have jointly committed $750,000 to upgrade the existing Telstra telecommunications tower at Broadsound to improve internet and telecommunications access for the local community, the companies said on Friday.

The telco tower upgrade is part of a range of “practical actions” these and other companies have agreed to deliver for the central Queensland communities that host their renewable energy projects, including the recently completed 100-turbine, 450 megawatt (MW) Clarke Creek wind farm.

Clarke Creek wind farm was completed and commissioned in October last year by Squadron, which is owned by iron ore billionaire Andrew Forrest. It is located 150 km north-west of Rockhampton and 150 km south of Mackay on the land of the Barada Kabalbara Yetimarala (BKY) peoples.

“We’ve heard that the [phone and internet] service has been quite unreliable, which can have a direct impact on safety and also just day-to-day life,” said Squadron’s head of community and regional development, Jessica Kite.

“So we saw a huge opportunity to combine our efforts and to align investment to deliver a long-term legacy for the community.”

The Isaac Regional Council says that Squadron, state-owned utility CS Energy, and fellow developers Iberdrola Australia, Tilt Renewables have been working together over the past 12 months through a regional collaboration group established to improve coordination across projects and respond to priorities raised by local communities.

The collaboration group has also committed to improving coordination and transparency around road contributions and infrastructure planning across renewable energy developments in the region.

Roadworks have already been undertaken, the council says, and the group will continue working with local government and other stakeholders on future road priorities, including speed management signage and other improvements around Clarke Creek.

The group is also supporting workforce and supply chain development opportunities, and will participate in the Moranbah State High School Careers Expo in July and work with Country Universities Centre Isaac on student support opportunities.

Further initiatives include support for a regional feral pig management program alongside the Invasive Species Council, improved coordination of community engagement activities across projects to reduce consultation fatigue, and progressing discussions around future solar and battery solutions for Clarke Creek State School.

The upgrade to the Broadsound telecoms tower will be the first project to go ahead, the council says, with a contract with Telstra already executed and works expected to start soon and be completed within the next 12 to 14 months.

“Social licence is built through practical action and genuine engagement with communities, not just consultation,” said Isaac Regional Council Mayor Kelly Vea Vea, in a statement this week.

“Our communities want to see tangible benefits alongside development, whether that is safer roads, better telecommunications, local business opportunities, support for schools or programs that strengthen regional resilience.

“What is encouraging about this collaboration is that companies are working together with Council and local communities to focus on shared priorities and practical outcomes that will leave a lasting benefit for the Isaac region.”

In the Isaac region, CS Energy is developing the 285 MW Lotus Creek wind farm, while Iberdrola’s projects include Broadsound solar and battery, a 376 MW PV and 180 MW/360 megawatt-hour (MWh) project that is under construction at Clarke Creek, not far from Squadron’s wind farm.

In a statement on LinkedIn, Iberdrola said working together with Squadron, Tilt and CS Energy meant being able to do more, and to deliver results for the region, not just a project.

“The kind of infrastructure that makes a real difference to everyday life,” the company said.

Tilt Renewables CEO, Anthony Fowler, said the council had provided invaluable feedback on how renewable projects could benefit regional communities and how developers could maximise those benefits.

“The energy transition is more than just providing sovereign domestic energy to support our growing regions, it’s also about supporting the communities in those regions to thrive,” Fowler said.

“This collaboration reflects what communities have been asking for – a more coordinated, collective approach. By working together, we can deliver outcomes that are more meaningful and enduring for regional communities.”

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