Renewables sector “letting frustrations fester,” says new energy infrastructure czar
Poor community trust in renewables - and a lack of industry response - is creating a real risk for industry, says Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner (AEIC) Tony Mahar.
Although the nine recommendations of the Community Engagement Review were adopted by governments, there’s been less enthusiasm for implementing them.
Mahar’s grim warning to the industry comes after spending the first six months in his new role on a listening tour of Australia.
Meetings revealed widespread concerns that engagement is just a box-ticking exercise, with many communities feeling like the energy transition is “being done to them.”
Despite early adoption of recommendations such as an independent developer rating scheme, launched as a pilot in March, Maher hasn’t seen much progress since.
After more than 75 meetings with 700-plus participants and more than 500 submissions, the review found repeated instances of poor community engagement had led to a “material distrust”.
Surveys with landholders and community members returned bleak feedback, with 95% of respondents going on the record as dissatisfied with the extent of community engagement.
Another 89% said they weren’t satisfied with the explanations developers gave them in response to their questions and concerns.
There are relatively simple ways to build community rapport, such as sending senior executives into the field, giving communities control over shared benefits, and being aware of power imbalances.