State government defends location of Kaban Wind Farm and Chalumbin Wind Farm on Tablelands

Government officials have explained why two major Tableland wind farm locations were chosen amid outcry from nature conservationists to preserve the land.

The thinking behind the placement and development of two controversial wind farms has been revealed, amid ongoing outcry from nature conservationists.

Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said the locations for the Kaban Wind Farm and the proposed-Chalumbin Wind Farm were the subject of stringent environmental approvals.

“We do look for the best locations for these renewable energy projects,” Minister de Brenni said.

“We look at the lowest impact on the environment, we look at the lowest impacts on communities, so they are all taken into account. There is significant consideration and great care.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles and Energy and Renewables Minister Mick de Brenni at the Kaban Green Power Hub. Picture: Andreas Nicola.

Rainforest Reserves Australia president Carolyn Emms said the Chalumbin Wind Farm would add to the “extinction crisis”.

“It’s ancient landscape of the highest global significance and the reason the locations are preferable by the developers is simply because its closest to the grid,” she said.

“But they have chosen an inappropriate site because they are adjacent to Wet Tropics World Heritage Parks.”

Ms Emms said the farms would wipe out species.

“It will virtually wipe out our bat species, they are so big the blades, the radius of the blades for Kaban from the tip to the bottom will wipe out entire bat species, thousands every year will die or be wounded,” she said.

“It’s cruel to do this our wildlife species.”

Kennedy MP Bob Katter said there was little remaining rainforest left in the world.

Kennedy MP Bob Katter is against the wind farms. Picture: Brendan Radke

“The birds want tucker they must fly west and they will fly straight into the windmill,” he said.

“Far North Queensland’s nature wonderland is being turned into an industrial wasteland, it’s land scams and money scams have nothing to do with solving energy problems.”

Minister de Brenni said the appropriate checks and balances were happening.

“That particular project (Chalumbin) is quite close to a World Heritage Area although it is outside of that and it still going through those federal environmental approvals,” he said.

“We know projects like this see significant offsets delivered. Around a million trees have been planted as part of the Kaban wind farm offset program.

“We need to make a decision as a civilisation to act on climate change and prevent horrific fire storms wiping out entire forest ecosystems.”

He said the government will decrease the project’s impact on the environment where it could.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government will do everything it can to protect vulnerable species.

Originally published as State government defends location of Kaban Wind Farm and Chalumbin Wind Farm on Tablelands