Qld Bush Summit: Farmers blow up about wind, solar farms ‘getting a free ride’

A revolt against renewable energy projects is spreading across the Queensland bush as graziers and farmers claim wind and solar farm companies are getting a free ride from governments.

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A revolt against renewable energy projects is spreading across the Queensland bush as graziers and farmers claim wind and solar farm companies are getting a free ride by governments who don’t have any real regulatory restraints on the companies.

Renewable energy and its impact on regional Queensland was a key issue at yesterday’s Bush Summit in Rockhampton, with protesters gathering outside the forum at the Great Western Hotel to oppose the projects which are creeping up the Queensland coast.

Rockhampton based LNP Senator Matt Canavan, who has formed an unlikely alliance with Rockhampton Greens to protest wind farms because of their impact on koalas and other wildlife, said a wind farm gave almost nothing back to a community.

“There are more jobs in your local Mcdonald’s Restaurant than there are in a wind farm, a lot more,’’ Senator Canavan said.

AgForce, the peak organisation representing Queensland rural producers, will also put more pressure on governments over the next few months to pass laws forcing wind farms and solar farms to clean up and rehabilitate sites after the equipment reaches its use by dates.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at a wind farm in the South Burnett. (AAP Image/Russell Freeman)

John Baker, Central Highlands AgForce president, said graziers fear they will face massive costs when renewable projects become redundant, but the infrastructure remains on their properties.

“It becomes the property owner’s responsibility to clean up, and that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,’’ he said.

Colin Boyce, the LNP Federal Member for Flynn, said renewable companies appeared to have an open licence to do what they wanted across regional Queensland with little regulatory rules applied by governments.

When regulation did exist, it did not appear to be rigorously enforce,, Mr Boyce said.

Mr Boyce said there also had to be more examination of the compensation deals that renewable companies offer property owners when they want to establish a project on a property.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who was quizzed at the Bush Summit on renewables and their impact on regional Queensland, said there was a delicate balance between the present and the future of energy.

“The Queensland economy is going through a big transition and we are a resource rich state,’’ the Premier said.

“However, we are also on the cusp of the biggest renewable energy revolution that our state and our country has ever seen.

“The whole world is moving in this space and we need to do this transformation.

The Premier said coal would p[lay a continuing role in our energy needs.

“We are not going to pull the pin on our coal-fired power stations – we are going to transition.”

The Premier said hydro-electric technology was part of the government’s plan, along with a transmission grid and investment in solar and wind farms.

“It is going to mean lots of jobs.”