Darling Downs Environment Council

*For landholders, see our links to useful resources here. 

*For a more detailed statement on DDEC's position please view this document here. 

Introduction:

We support viable alternatives to unsustainable industries and look forward to a future based on 100% clean renewable energy and an end to divisive conflicts over energy, water and pollution. We believe that in  Australia where we have vast renewable energy resources, we can utilise solar, wind, pumped hydro and battery storage to meet our energy needs for generations to come. 

DDEC believes that the government and renewable energy companies need to improve the way projects are being planned and implemented at economic, environmental and social levels. There needs to be a focus on minimising environmental impacts while also improving engagement and consultation and ensuring that benefits are shared more equally with the community.

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our civilisation and nature. We urgently need policy leadership from our decision-makers to reduce emissions with clean energy solutions.

The Queensland Government recently legislated a 75% by 2035 emission reduction target. This is a wonderful leap in the right direction. Politicians of all stripes must come to the table with strong climate action plans to expand the use of renewable energy in ways that benefit communities and nature.

The current energy development situation

Energy generation in the inland Southern regional Queensland is well advanced. At the time of writing in mid 2024, based on the Department of Energy and Public Works data there are 69 energy generation projects in our region including: 

• 28 existing projects (2 coal, 2 wind, 13 solar, 8 gas, 1 gas/diesel and 2 storage)
• 34 proposed projects (18 solar, 7 wind and 9 storage) with 
• 7 under construction (1 solar, 3 wind and 3 storage).

*For an updated list of projects within the broader Downs area visit: https://electricity-generation-map.epw.qld.gov.au/#results 

Renewable energy developments result in the construction of long-term infrastructure. A multitude of challenges and concerns have been raised by the regional community in relation to the impacts of these developments both during the construction and post-construction phases. 

In the Downs area these concerns are, but not limited to: 

• lack of consultation by the proponents, especially to neighbours and communities about solar projects,
• confusing assessment processes involving potentially three levels of government,
• development on prime agricultural land, 
• loss of biodiversity in already highly impacted landscapes, 
• destruction of important habitats, 
• location of infrastructure on important local landmarks, 
• strains on local infrastructure and housing, and 
• increased competition to retain the existing workforce.

What needs to change? 

We believe that the government and renewable energy companies need to improve the way projects are being planned and implemented on economic, environmental and social levels. 

There needs to be a focus on minimising environmental impacts, protecting prime agricultural land while also improving engagement and consultation and ensuring that benefits are shared more equally with the community.

We are calling on government and renewable energy companies to improve the overall planning and implementation of the renewables rollout to ensuring positive economic, environmental, and social outcomes and with a focus on the following areas:

1. Protect Nature & Prime Farmland
   The developer-led rush for sites that are closest to transmission lines is creating bad outcomes for nature, communities and landholders. Bioregional planning needs to be accelerated to safeguard high conservation areas and prime agricultural land. A traffic light system should guide development on agricultural land, protecting vital zones like the Condamine Alluvial Floodplain.
2. Corporate Conduct & Community Engagement
   Enforce a Code of Conduct for developers to ensure participatory and respectful engagement with landholders and communities, with a transparent consultation process involving local stakeholders, including First Nations groups.
3. Reform the Environmental Offsets Act
   Strengthen the framework to reverse environmental decline, providing stronger guidelines for when environmental impacts must be avoided and when targetted, maintained and monitored offsets are appropriate.
4. Support Local Jobs & Procurement
   Set targets for sourcing local materials and labor—at least 20% during construction and 70% during operation.
5. Responsible Resource Management
   Developers must demonstrate how their projects will source resources without burdening local services or depleting water and gravel supplies.
6. Waste & Decommissioning Plans
   Waste management and decommissioning plans must be developed at the scoping stage, focusing on recycling and resource recovery.
7. Sustainable Housing Solutions
   Developers should provide innovative housing solutions aligned with regional needs to create long-term housing benefits.
8. Biodiversity Protection
   Projects should result in no net loss of native ecosystems, prioritizing biodiversity enhancement within the local government area.
9. Road Asset Management
   Developers must assess impacts on road infrastructure and collaborate with councils to manage these across local government boundaries.
10. Neighbour and Community Benefit Sharing
    Projects should contribute 1.5% of the build cost or $800 per MW annually to local communities over the life of the project and neighbors of project sites should also receive financial benefits. 

DDEC wants to see better community and environmental outcomes from the expanding renewable energy sector. This can be achieved through improved planning laws, genuine consultation to understand the local issues, and improving the long-term community benefits for the local people directly impacted by these infrastructure projects. 

Please join us in our efforts to tackle the most important issue of our time. While combating climate change may seem like an overwhelming task, our own individual actions can hold significant power.

Contact Us: 

Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any feedback or suggestions regarding the points above and our advocacy in this area.