Queensland unveils strict new wind and solar rules: No development application without council deal

Renewable energy developers in Queensland will be required to enter into “binding agreements” with local governments, setting out the social impacts and community benefits of projects proposed on their patch, before they can apply for development applications with the state.

The new social licence rules were unveiled on Thursday by Queensland’s Liberal National Party government, as part of legislation for the 2032 Delivery Plan that was tabled in state parliament.

Queensland deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie said the party was implementing its election commitment to give regional Queenslanders a say on renewable energy development in the state and set the framework for projects, going forward.

“Labor’s rush to renewables left communities in the dark and without a voice for too long, failing to give locals the chance to benefit from these major ­developments,” Blejie said, according to a report in The Australian.

“These changes deliver our election commitment to make the approvals process a level playing field with the same ­rigorous requirements, including community consultation, ­regardless of the project.”

Bleijie told parliament that the new rules will introduce social impact assessments and “binding” community benefit agreements between the developers of wind and solar farms and local governments.

“Assessments will be undertaken at the outset – not after – before the development application is put in. This will enable communities to have a say about what is important to them,” he said.

The Queensland LNP flagged the introduction of strict new wind farm planning rules in January, a few weeks after calling in one project and pausing three others.

Since then, the Crisafulli government has outlined a new five-year energy plan for the state that will focus on propping up its coal plants, investing in new gas power and pushing ahead with select pumped hydro projects.

It is also expected to include the repeal of the former Labor government’s legislated renewable energy targets, which aimed for a 50 per cent share by 2030, and 80 per cent by 2035.

Katie-Anne Mulder, the CEO of the Queensland Renewable Energy Council, said on Thursday that there were a number of policies still stuck in limbo, including the new government’s plans for the state’s renewable energy zones.

“We’ve seen a recent change of government in Queensland since October last year, and there has been some policies, I suppose, that you could see in a bit of a holding pattern,” Mulder told the CEDA Climate and Energy Summit on Thursday.

“And the renewable energy zones, what we have in legislation at the moment, has certainly been one of those. We haven’t had a clear policy out of government about where they’re … sitting with that and how that might be reframed.

“But the opportunity certainly is there … and what we feel in Queensland… is the communities really needing, really wanting that agency piece, really wanting to understand what is there, where is their role in participating in these in these projects, and particularly where you’ve got a concentration of those projects.”

The Queensland Conservation Council said on Thursday that while it has been calling for better community consultation and regional community benefit sharing from renewable projects, it remains to be seen how the proposed new legislation would work in practice.

“This could potentially be a wolf in sheep’s clothing if the gvernment uses this process to halt renewable projects based on ideology over evidence,” said Queensland Conservation Council director Dave Copeman in a statement on Thursday.

“The Queensland LNP’s consistent rhetoric about streamlining fossil fuels approvals, and their plans to review the State’s 75 per cent emissions reduction target, is ringing alarm bells about how serious they are about protecting our environment and acting on climate change.”

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