Member for Mirani, Glen Kelly MP, is celebrating that local communities in the Mirani electorate will now be in the driver’s seat to determine if wind and solar farms are developed in their region, thanks to strengthened planning and assessment processes.
The Crisafulli Government has introduced Australia’s strongest renewables planning laws to lock in requirements on renewable energy developers to contribute to the regions in which they operate.
The changes fulfil an election commitment to ensure both solar farms and wind farms are impact assessable, making them subject to the same rigorous approval and mandatory consultation processes as other major developments.
Under the previous Labor Government, wind farms were only considered under State Code 23 and meant that communities that were impacted were not allowed to have their say on these projects.
Wind and solar farm developers will be required to conduct a social impact assessment and negotiate a community benefit agreement with the local government before lodging a development application.
This will require renewable energy developers to engage early and authentically with communities and councils to contribute to a long-lasting legacy for the regions.
Member for Mirani, Glen Kelly MP said the changes would make sure that local communities would finally be able to get a say on the proposed projects in their area.
“The LNP is making sure that community consultation means consultation, renewable companies will no longer be able to make all the decisions and hold what they call consultations but were more like lectures,” Mr Kelly said.
“Under the previous Government the rush to renewables meant that communities were left being told what was going to happen rather than developers working with communities to ensure that the projects are in the right place, and that there is community support for these projects.
“Councils were left powerless to stop these projects in areas where there wasn’t the support for them, and communities were left divided and powerless to stop these projects coming to areas they weren’t wanted.
“The previous Labor Government cleared all the red tape for these developments, resulting in numerous wind farms that will have serious negative impacts on our environment being approved. With these now being impact assessable, the endangered flora and fauna will be properly considered.
“This has been something that I’ve been very vocal on even before becoming a candidate, and it shows that the regional communities that are being inundated with these projects finally have a government that listens.”
Glen Kelly MP Speaking at the Reckless Renewables Rally in Brisbane in August 2023. Photo supplied
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