Lawrence Springborg says Qld wind farm is no benefit to region, demands a return on renewable projects

A wind farm in Queensland has failed to produce one real job amid fears the host region will just be left to clean up the “ghetto” it leaves behind, a local government convention has been told.

Lawrence Springborg believes governments should be insisting on things like community engagement strategies and benefit funds, which inevitably accompany massive infrastructure projects such as mining, with renewable energy projects. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE/Tertius Pickard

A wind farm in the Goondiwindi region has failed to produce one real job, a local government convention has been told.

Lawrence Springborg, Goondiwindi Mayor, has told the 2023 Bush Council Convention that his region was hosting one of the largest onshore wind farm developments in the nation, and receiving almost nothing in return.

It’s believed $2.5 billion has been invested in the farm, but only part of that was government funds.

Mr Springborg said the amount of capital going into wind farms was unprecedented in the Goondiwindi region.

“If you were to spend just 100 million dollars on a dam or water infrastructure project you would be getting hundreds of jobs in construction, roads and expanding agricultural precincts,’’ he said.

“But with a wind farm you get pretty much nothing, zero.”

Mr Springborg said governments rightly demanded a return on mine proposals including local jobs and infrastructure as well as royalties and guarantees of land rehabilitation.

But Mr Springborg said the wind farms spreading across Queensland had little, if any, formal obligation to put anything back into host communities.

Communities like his would be left with the job of cleaning up after the turbines reached their use by date, he said.

“The companies building these wind farms are constantly changing hands - we will be left with the job of cleaning up after they become ghettos.’’

Mr Springborg said he supported renewable technology but believed governments should be insisting on things like community engagement strategies and benefit funds which inevitably accompany massive infrastructure projects such as mining.

More than 200 mayors, councillors, CEOs and industry delegates representing regions covering around 60 per cent of the state’s land mass have gathered in Goondiwindi for the Local Government Association of Queensland’s Bush Council’s Convention.

Barcaldine-Tambo Regional Council Mayor, Andrew Martin, said the councils were very much part of Queensland, but often faced vastly different challenges than those councils in more populated centres.

“We often paint on a different canvas than the other places,’’ he said.

The convention, which will look at key issues for the bush including renewable energy, roads, water, communication and decentralisation, will continue until Thursday.