Region on alert over looming threat to billion-dollar solar and battery projects

The State Government decision to axe the proposed $1b Moonlight Range wind farm over community concerns has put Gladstone Region on high alert as it assesses possible impacts facing its numerous renewable projects.

A wind farm in the South Burnett district of Queensland, Monday, September 26, 2022. (AAP Image/Russell Freeman) NO ARCHIVING

The State Government decision to axe the $1 billion Moonlight Range wind farm over community concerns has put Gladstone Region on high alert as it assesses possible impacts facing its numerous renewable projects.

While the Gladstone Region currently does not have any wind farm applications on its books, it does have up to 10 solar farm and big battery projects worth billions of dollars and thousands of jobs under various stages of assessment and planning.

Gladstone Regional Council Deputy Mayor Natalia Muszkat said their concern is the State Government may soon take over solar farm decision making which is a process currently in the hands of local government.

Gladstone Deputy Mayor Natalia Muszkat.

“We are concerned about the message about how ready the Central Queensland area is to receive investment,” she said.

“A lot of these renewable projects are very much linked to the future sustainability of our current industries.

“But we also very optimistic because we receive queries daily about the (renewable) opportunities that exist in Central Queensland.”

Cr Muszkat said council wanted to remain part of the renewable project decision-making process and had sent a submission to the State Government with feedback around proposed changes to solar farm legislation.

“We are watching this very attentively as we have an economic transition road map that we will be working through. There’s a bill proposed to be put to parliament very soon with the changes in planning assessment which will bring some solar farms into becoming impact assessable instead of code assessable and that is that’s one of the biggest changes (facing us) at the moment,” she said.

“At the moment, wind farms are assessed by the state, not council, but currently solar farms are assessed by councils not the state. So we are definitely watching this space to see where we’re going.”

It was community objections that led to the state blocking Moonlight Range near Rockhampton after the project was paused by the deputy premier to allow public consultation over a 40-day period.

More than 550 submissions were received, with 85 per cent asking for the project to be reviewed.

The Moonlight Range in Central Queensland. Supplied: Steven Nowakowski

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the government was backing local communities who had raised concerns over wind farm developments.

Cr Muszkat said council supported community consultation in battery and solar farm projects.

“We are watching this space with concern but also with optimism as we want communities to have a say and those are the proposed changes that the state has brought in through this bill,” she said.

“So I wouldn’t say the community is against it (big battery and solar farms). The community has very valid concerns and they are just looking for clarification and to also have some risks mitigated.

“We still want to be part of the assessment process I guess there was an understanding that there could be a situation in which we could be co-assessing.

Elements Green says its 696-megawat (MW) solar farm 666-MW BESS battery south of Gladstone will generate enough electricity to supply power to 200,000 homes.

“Local government is the closest level of government to the people. We understand what our communities need and what our communities want and all those things. We live in our communities.

“We want the transparency and the assessment and we want community voices to be heard but we also don’t want to see these as a way of delaying projects because they’re very important to our economy.”

In a statement, Moonlight Range proponent Greenleaf Renewables said it was “extremely disappointed” by the State Government decision to axe the project, particularly given its potential to “contribute significantly to Queensland’s regional economic development and near-term energy needs”.

“We are also disappointed for the many local landholders, regional businesses and community groups that supported our project, and want to see it progress,” the company said.

They said Greenleaf disagreed with several of the justifications outlined in the decision notice cited by the deputy premier.

“We are currently reviewing the feedback provided by the deputy premier. This information will inform (our) next steps,” the company said.

It said since the inception of the project in late 2021, Greenleaf Renewables had “conducted thoughtful and transparent community and stakeholder engagement with the local communities and key stakeholders surrounding the Project”.

List of solar farm and big battery project applications in the Gladstone Region

Akaysha Energy – Impact – Undefined Use (Battery Energy Storage System) BESS and Substation

European Energy (Upper Calliope) – Renewable Energy Facility (Solar Farm) ancillary infrastructure and internal

collector substations

 Private Energy Partners (Miriam Vale Solar Farm) Renewable Energy Facility (Solar Farm) and Substation

Baywa Re Solar Projects Pty Ltd – Battery energy storage system (BESS) with associated infrastructure

Red Hill Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Facility, Undefined Use Battery Storage Systems & Substations,

 Private Energy Partners — Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Substation and Ancillary Infrastructure

Raglan BESS Pty Ltd – Battery Energy Storage System and Substation

Wooderson Solar Development Co Pty Ltd – Solar Farm and Substation and

ancillary infrastructure

Eurimbula Project Co Pty Ltd – Renewable Energy Facility Substation

ECO World Energy – Solar Farm Gladstone