Qld politics: Glen Kelly’s wife fails to disclose relationship to committee

The wife of a Queensland MP has failed to disclose their relationship while giving testimony to a parliamentary committee.

Glen and Nikki Kelly

The wife of Member for Mirani Glen Kelly failed to disclose their relationship when appearing before a parliamentary committee to criticise renewable energy projects neighbouring the couple’s property, it can be revealed.

Nikki Kelly this week appeared before the state development, infrastructure and works committee to provide a public submission on the government's proposed law changes to wind and solar developments.

Ms Kelly was critical of the former Labor government’s past approach to renewable projects and developers, telling the committee she had not been properly consulted over the Moah Creek wind project adjacent to her property.

“We regularly meet with developers. To us it felt like a box-ticking exercise,” she said.

“We know, as you can see by that map, that there is a large area of cleared land that already has been cleared for agriculture that would move these wind turbines away from the property boundaries.

“We said to them, ‘We’re not saying don’t have your wind farm, but just move it away into those areas so you don’t have to clear those mountaintops and you don’t have to impact those neighbours to such a big extent.’

“The renewable energy transition was initiated in the past with no framework that considered zoning or transmission infrastructure or communities or environments and developers had free rein in Queensland to target those areas closest to transmission with an effort to minimise their costs, regardless of what would be flattened along the way.”

Glen and Nikki Kelly

While Ms Kelly declared to the committee she was a member of the Kalapa Wycarbah Local Action Committee, she did not disclose that she was the wife of a member of parliament.

Her husband Mr Kelly has previously voiced his opposition to wind farm projects in his electorate.

He also praised Deputy Premier and State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie’s decision to axe the $1bn Moonlight Range Wind Farm project last month, saying the government was listening to community concerns.

“These large-scale developments impact on local infrastructure, people living and working in these communities and also the natural environment,” he said.

“Local residents affected by these projects had no say, and concerns around the impacts on their communities were ignored.”

Opposition state development, infrastructure and planning spokesman Cameron Dick accused the government of manipulating the committee process.

A government spokesman said Labor was fully aware of Ms Kelly and her marital status when she registered to appear before the committee.

“The Labor Party know Ms Kelly is a member of the community who, like every Queenslander, was entitled to have her say during a public hearing,” he said.

“The Labor Party committee members were aware of Ms Kelly formally registering and appearing before the committee.”