Opinion: Theatre of politics costs Central Qld wind farm

The scrapping of a massive Queensland wind farm project has shows the collateral damage of politics over project merit, writes Tracey Richards.

The Central Queensland property of grazier Tracey Richards was earmarked for the Moonlight Range wind farm.

We have been farming our land, 40km west of Rockhampton, for five generations. We have grazed cattle for most of our lives. Our farm is a place of deep emotional connection and belonging for my family.

At the end of last year we were told that the Moonlight Range Wind Farm project, which we were to host turbines on our land, had received development approval from the state government.

Last month, that decision was reversed by Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie.

As local landowners we feel we have been the collateral damage of politics over project merit. We are not a family of intergenerational wealth, we are a working-class family.

Making a living off this land is becoming increasingly volatile.

Cattle prices are highly variable depending on a range of factors – water, feed, international markets, disease, consumer patterns and market conditions.

This is combined with increasing input costs – fencing, feed, vaccinations, vet fees, transport costs, fuel, machinery.

While much of that volatility has been present for years, the tempo has increased significantly.

Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie canned the project. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

It wasn’t an easy decision to agree to become wind turbine hosts. We took a great deal of time weighing the advantages and disadvantages.

While we have learnt to live with the volatility of farming, the Moonlight Range Wind Farm project would have ensured that when volatility hits we have the capacity to rebuild, restock and repair from the steady income of hosting the wind turbines.

One of the reasons we chose this project was its limited impact on others in our district.

There are no homes in proximity to the proposed project site, in fact the site has strong support from the majority of our neighbours so we felt comforted by the fact that we had all made similar assessments.

We had been approached by many other companies looking to install wind turbines, but Greenleaf had the best program and structures in place that demonstrated a genuine care for the environment and respect for the landowner partners.

We decided to work with them 2.5 years ago.

It is perhaps one of my greatest frustrations that no one actually approached the landholders to see what had been finalised regarding native vegetation removal.

Moonlight Range in Central Queensland. Picture: Steven Nowakowski

Greenleaf worked closely with all the landholders to minimise the amount of native vegetation required for the turbines.

We chose barren ridge tops with limited vegetation where possible and actively refined the project to avoid the removal of native flora.

This collaborative, place-sensitive approach was fundamental to building a project that we could support.

The cancellation of a billion-dollar renewable energy project sends ripples far beyond our farm.

At its core, it represents a loss of momentum in Queensland’s energy transition.

Projects of this scale are not just about turbines, they’re about jobs, supply chains, regional investment, energy security and international competitiveness.

The decision to cancel this project sends a clear message that doing business in Queensland is hard, uncertain and volatile.

These are not messages that create a vibrant regional economy.

It saddens me deeply that the theatre of politics appears to carry more weight than the values we hold dear: those of quiet strength, mutual respect and measured conversations.

We shouldn’t have to shout to be heard.

Tracey Richards is a Central Queensland grazier

Originally published as Opinion: Theatre of politics costs Central Qld wind farm