Editor’s view: Regions now face renewables threat

Most Queenslanders will warmly welcome the news that the tiny town of Glenden will be saved from the wrecking ball, but now renewables appear to be posing a new threat to our regions.

Most Queenslanders will warmly welcome the news delivered by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday at the Rockhampton Bush Summit that the tiny town of Glenden will be saved from the wrecking ball.

The small community two hours drive west of Mackay is not just a town, but the living embodiment of a certain breed of Queenslander who has played a pivotal role in building this state, contributing to the prosperity we all enjoy today.

The mining families who built Glenden over its 40 year history not only unearthed the wealth that still provides this state with its financial backbone.

They also built a hugely successful community where hard work and thrift were widely encouraged and admired, where crime was never a serious problem and where family life was valued as a sound building block for creating worthwhile citizens.

It was no accident that the Premier announced that Glenden would be saved from the wrecking ball at the inaugural Queensland Bush Summit – a regions-focused forum which News Corp, the publisher of this newspaper, has been staging at various locations around the country annually since 2019.

The township of Glenden in Central Queensland. Picture: Contributed

In the lead up to the summit this newspaper, which has always prided itself on its statewide coverage, put an even stronger focus on regional reporting and the challenges faced by people living far away from the well serviced state capital.

At the summit, held at Rocky’s Great Western Hotel, a number of issues were raised which now deserve the attention of both state and federal governments, as well as the Australian media.

They include connectivity, investment in water security, health and housing, the distribution of mining royalties and the examination of more creative ways of dealing with natural disasters, with the possibility of resilience becoming at least as important as recovery.

An emerging issue given a full-throated voice at yesterday’s summit, not only by delegates but by protesters outside the gathering, was how the regions have become the front line of the renewable energy rollout, yet appear to be receiving very little in return.

Regional representatives made it clear yesterday that renewable energy companies should be shouldering the same responsibilities that mining companies face, including rehabilitation of the country they use, while adequate compensation for farmers impacted by renewable energy projects should also be examined.

Gina Rinehart, executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting Group, also raised legitimate questions about how the mineral resources which are abundant throughout regional Australia, and crucial for the renewable energy revolution, are going to be unearthed when the mining industry is so heavily regulated.

As Mrs Rinehart pointed out, it takes more than a decade for a straight forward mining proposal to receive approval in Australia under present conditions.

That means many of the new mineral discoveries which could be used to fuel cleaner energy will probably take until the middle of the century to arrive at the market if we don’t introduce more realistic approvals processes.

But it was the saving of Glenden which was the surprise gift delivered to the summit.

The news, rather endearingly, left the Mayor of Isaac Regional Council Anne Baker in tears of joy.

Cr Baker, and locals such as retired miner and Glenden resident Tony Phillips, campaigned hard to keep their town alive, using the media (including this newspaper which published the plight on page 1) to get their story out to the nation and generating the public pressure which led to yesterday’s announcement.

The saving of Glenden will require legislative tinkering which will possibly take some of its authority from the Strong and Sustainable Resources Act passed in 2017 which was specifically designed to help mining towns like Glenden prosper from resource projects.

This issue has by no means reached its conclusion, and this newspaper will continue to monitor developments over the next few weeks.

But the saving of Glenden illustrates how positive changes can take place when we, as a state, listen to the people who populate our regions, and work with them in coming up with solutions to the challenges they face.