Solar is “pure gold” to Queenslanders, but governments are missing the opportunity

When you fly over Townsville it’s hard not to notice the row after row of rooftops with solar.

As Ian, a local business owner told me, “If you live in North Queensland and you don’t have solar, you’re missing out on an opportunity that’s pure gold.”

Ian runs a playcentre and cafe in Townsville and is saving $50,000-$60,000 every year after installing rooftop solar on his business.

And it’s not just home and business owners that are cashing in: Townsville’s zinc refinery, owned by Sun Metals, built a neighbouring solar farm that produces the equivalent of a third of the refinery’s energy needs.

Now, Sun Metals’ sister company Ark Energy is building a 1MW renewable hydrogen demonstration electrolyser to provide clean fuel to their new hydrogen trucks. By 2040, they plan to operate electrolysers with a total capacity of 3,500 MW in Townsville and be a key global renewable hydrogen producer and exporter.

For a region that gets more than 300-plus days of sunshine every year and rising costs of living, it’s not hard to understand why everyone is looking to cash in with clean technology.

But what’s happening on the ground is a far cry from the pervasive public narrative that regional Queenslanders are opposed to action on climate change. In places like Townsville, they’re leading the change.

All over the city the shift to clean energy is evident. Residents of Magnetic Island are planning how to be entirely powered by renewables by 2030, while the Townsville City Council is establishing Australia’s first sustainable manufacturing precinct.

Businesses are lining up to start producing renewable hydrogen and manufacture clean technology like solar panels and battery materials.

Our latest Townsville analysis looked at 10 manufacturing projects proposed in the local government area (LGA) and found they would create more than 5,000 ongoing jobs if they proceed and are powered by renewable energy backed by storage.

The potential in North Queensland is enormous and local residents are well aware of it.

Recent polling of the Townsville LGA demonstrates that 85 per cent support the Townsville region becoming a hub for renewable-powered industry and manufacturing, and 55 per cent agree that new clean energy industries, like producing renewable hydrogen, will be major employers across regional Queensland by 2030.

The question that remains is not what the community supports, it’s how far governments will go to back in Townsville’s potential to be a clean manufacturing powerhouse.

So far, both the Queensland and Australian governments have made various funding commitments to unlock the  region’s potential, including $70 million to turn the city into a hydrogen hub.

Credit where credit is due, but benefits to the community and economy could be maximised with greater planning, coordination and financial certainty for proposed projects.

We need a vision for turning the whole region into a clean energy manufacturing powerhouse so we’re getting it right and investing in the infrastructure and workforce training we need.

The state and federal governments have an opportunity now to work together to turn Townsville into Australia’s first renewable-powered manufacturing hub and smash the false narrative that Queenslanders need to keep relying on fossil fuels to power the economy.

They can do that by investing in infrastructure, skills development and incentivising new businesses to set up shop in the Sunshine State.

Stephanie Gray is deputy national director of Solar Citizens