Mirani MP champions renewables’ bill as restoring ‘voice of rural Qlders’

A Central Qld grazier-turned-politician is lauding wind and solar farm legislation which will empower local voices, but the peak state body has warned there could be negative outcomes.

Renewables future faces head winds. Pic Roy Van Der Vegt

Grazier-turned-politician Glen Kelly is lauding renewables legislation which will make large-scale solar farms and wind farms impact assessable and ensure mandatory public consultation.

The Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 was passed during a late-night parliamentary sitting on Wednesday, June 25, in a major reform the Mirani MP has long pursued to give communities more power over the developments.

The Queensland planning framework amendments will ensure wind farms and large-scale solar farm proponents must ensure social impact assessments and community benefit agreements must be undertaken prior to lodging development applications.

Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie used extraordinary powers in May to cancel the $1bn Moonlight Range Wind Farm proposal 40km northwest of Rockhampton following strong community concerns. Pic: Steven Nowakowski

Proponents must consider workforce management, housing and accommodation, local business and industry procurement, as well as health and community wellbeing and will involve community and stakeholder engagement requirements.

They are also expected to enter into agreements with local governments that will counterbalance social impacts and provide positive community outcomes.

Amendments to the DA rules propose new alternative public notice requirements for the developments to ensure contemporary and practical ways to ensure community awareness, given the large scale of the development sites.

Community members and stakeholders who make properly made submissions during the public notification process will have the right to appeal the final decision.

Mr Kelly said the reforms were a direct result of sustained pressure from regional MPs like himself, who have been fighting “to restore the voice of rural Queensland”.

“I’ve been calling for these changes for years — well before I was elected to parliament,” Mr Kelly said.

“Our communities were being steamrolled.

“That ends now.

“I made it clear that Mirani wouldn’t be ignored — and I’m proud to say we’ve delivered real change that puts people before profit.”

Mirani MP and community advocate Glen Kelly. Pic: Fergus Gregg

The state’s peak renewable industry body, Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC), has warned the bill could undermine the current ‘momentum and credibility’ in the state’s ‘energy transformation’.

“Renewable energy continues to offer Queensland an enormous opportunity for long-term energy security, cost of living relief, and economic development in regional areas,” QREC chief executive officer Katie-Anne Mulder said.

“However, the sequencing of these new requirements - particularly mandating community benefit agreements and social impact assessments prior to any development application - risks creating unnecessary barriers, delays and uncertainty for investors and communities alike.

“QREC has always advocated for early and transparent engagement with local communities, but these mechanisms must be implemented in a way that is workable, consistent across all large scale development, and aligned with Queensland’s broader energy transition goals.”