Councils have called for help to assess solar and wind projects

Renewable energy projects are creating a headache for overrun rural councils.

Graziers Cedric and Therese Creed say the solar farm planned on a neighbouring property will waste prime agricultural land. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Rural councils say they are struggling to keep up with the volume of solar farm development applications, compounding concerns among farmers that high-quality arable land is giving way to renewable energy projects.

Several motions were passed at the Local Government Association of Queensland conference last month pleading for better support from the state government when it comes to such projects.

They called for community members to be given the right to appeal renewable projects and for the establishment of a dedicated commission to oversee the rapidly growing sector and ensure it can coexist with the agriculture and resources industries.

“Without the opportunity for these rights in relation to renewable energy projects, governments will not be able to fully consider and condition projects appropriately to mitigate impacts on neighbouring landowners and the broader community,” one of the motions said.

“Landowner rights and opportunities are important in balancing the transition of the state and the nation to renewable ­energy with the needs and ­impacts on the community.”

It is an issue is playing out across the country in the rush to transform the country’s electricity generation to 82 per cent renewables by 2030.

National Farmers Federation president David Jochinke warned this week that Australia could not afford to allow prime agricultural land to be overrun with energy projects.

Nev Ferrier, the mayor of ­Banana Shire 500km northwest of Brisbane, said rural councils did not have enough resources to keep up with the number of new solar farm projects requiring ­development approval and were being forced to hire consultants to help with the work. He estimated there were about 25 wind and solar farm proposals in the central Queensland shire.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said he was concerned about the loss to regional economies if productive farming land was locked up for renewable projects.

The party wants a moratorium on such projects until the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is amended to automatically refer all commercial-corporate renewable energy projects for approval.

“This is where we need to pause and plan, even for renewables. We’re not against them ­entirely, what we’re saying is that there’s a place for them,” he said.