GOONDIWINDI Region mayor Lawrence Springborg has welcomed the Queensland Government’s announcement it will review current processes around wind power developments as well as implement a new development approval process.

Cr Springborg said while Goondiwindi Regional Council supports the development of any new industry that adds to the Goondiwindi region economy – including wind electricity generators – to date, there has been little consultation or engagement with the local community around either the planning or legacy of wind power projects to ensure community benefit.

“The introduction of an impact assessment framework for renewable energy projects and approval processes that are consistent with other land uses like agriculture or mining, would set clear expectations around community benefits and provide certainty for residents and industry,” Cr Springborg said.

“It’s only right the communities impacted most by these large-scale, new developments are consulted as part of any approval process.”

Last week, the Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning, Jarrod Bleijie, temporarily paused the assessment of several wind power generator applications across Queensland, to allow proponents to demonstrate the appropriate community consultation and ensure that impact assessments have been undertaken.

Cr Springborg said he has long advocated for wind power developments to be subject to similar approval processes consistent with other land uses, like mining, gas and agriculture.

“Industries like mining and gas have a legislative requirement for developments to contribute to local benefit through legacy projects,” he said.

“For example, there’s currently no such requirement for the renewables sector to do the same, and I welcome that this will be addressed through the proposed review.

“Similarly, with an industry like agriculture, any one farm can create dozens of jobs indefinitely – whereas a wind generator has a very short ‘sugar hit’ during the construction phase, followed by very few or even no locally-based jobs created in the long-term,” he said.

“That intense construction phase also places considerable pressure on the local housing market in particular, as well as impacting the availability of local contractors.”

Cr Springborg has further welcomed the recommendation that local governments should be involved in the approval process of wind power generators – that currently require state government approval only – as is the case for solar power generators.

“One of the key reasons I have advocated for local councils to be involved in the approval process for these projects is that the project would then require a local government Development Application for approval,” Cr Springborg said.

“This means councils would have the ability to negotiate on behalf of the community around issues like road damage from freighting the turbines and other construction materials.

“We could also require workforce management plans to address and minimise the pressure on local housing during the construction phase.

“One further example of the need for local government consultation and partnership is the management of waste throughout the life of the project and at the end of life – there is currently no clear decommissioning plan.

“How do you dispose of the tons of concrete or the turbines themselves? How are local waste facilities expected to cope?

“By involving local government, Councils can then develop a clear strategy and seek support to tackle this.”

Council will lodge a submission to the state government regarding the Goondiwindi Region’s experience around wind power station developments so far, expressing support for the framework and offering some proposed solutions to shared challenges.

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Wind Farm Planning Issues and Interests