Queensland toughens wind farm development criteria amid local opposition

The sunshine state will require wind farm developers to meet higher environmental and local impact tests to secure licences in a move to placate opposition ahead of next year’s state election.

Queensland will require developers of wind farms to clear a higher threshold in order to secure licences amid local opposition, despite the sunshine state setting an ambitious target for transitioning away from its dependency on coal.

The move to amend the state’s legislation marks an attempt by the state Labor government to placate some local anger towards wind farms ahead of an election next year, but the higher threshold will also heighten concerns about the feasibility of Queensland meeting its ambitious renewable energy targets.

Queensland last year announced a plan to have renewable energy provide 80 per cent of the state’s electricity by 2030, which will require 22 gigawatts of new wind and solar power in renewable energy zones across the state.

But with pockets of local angst about wind farms, the state Labor government said on Wednesday that it will review current legislation and amend it if needed to strengthen environmental protections, increase rehabilitation requirements and require proponents to investigate the impact of their construction on local workforces and accommodation.

Queensland’s Minister Energy and Renewables Mick de Brenni said the changes will strike the right balance between renewable energy developers and the local community.

“We want to strike the right balance as our clean energy transformation continues. It’s a necessary step to build certainty and confidence of the community, industry and investors in clean energy projects,” Mr de Brenni said.

“Improving co-existence of renewable energy projects with other land uses, in particular those with strong environmental and agricultural values, will benefit all parties.”

Queensland Energy Minister Mick de Brenni. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

Any changes to heighten the difficulty in securing regulatory licences, however, will be unpopular with renewable energy developers – which have in recent months been very appreciative of Queensland’s approach to prospective developments.

Queensland can ill-afford to alienate developers if it is to meet its lofty climate agenda that the government intends to fund through investments totalling around $19bn.

When Queensland announced its transition plan last year, it conceded substantial new renewable generation is critical to transform Queensland’s electricity system and deliver affordable, reliable and clean power.

Queensland’s plan detailed it would need about 25,000MW of large-scale renewable generation and around 7000MW of new rooftop solar generation to meet forecast demand in 2035.

The scale of the challenge would be further heightened if hydrogen proves commercially viable or there is wholesale electrification of Australia, it added.

Queensland has lured some of the world’s largest wind farms, including Acciona Energia’s new 1000-megawatt, $2bn Herries Range wind farm, and a $1bn development backed by Apple and Andrew Forrest.

While providing much-needed renewable energy, gigantic projects will require significant clearing for turbines and roads, and opponents said such developments could cause significant environmental harm.

Any delays to weaning off coal in Queensland would also be detrimental to Australia’s renewable energy aspirations. Queensland is the country’s most coal dependent state, and weaning it from fossil fuels would be a key factor in determining whether Australia can meet its target of having zero emission sources providing more than 80 per cent of electricity by 2030.

Toughening up development criteria could also set a precedent for the rest of the country, slowing the pipeline of renewable energy projects – many of which are already struggling to materialise as Australia struggles to build enough transmission lines.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, however, is facing a tough re-election campaign and can also ill-afford to stoke local anger due to her climate agenda.

Ms Palaszczuk in July dismissed polling data showing Labor is on track to lose next year’s Queensland election, but a tight contest is expected.

Ms Palaszczuk has been premier of Queensland since February 2015.