Stronger wind project planning laws welcomed

The launch of Queensland’s updated wind planning code, State Code 23, has today been welcomed by the Queensland Conservation Council and Cairns and Far North Environment Centre.

The update to State Code 23 will require wind farm developers to better manage soil erosion as well as social impacts like transport and worker housing. The updates are an important step to help Queensland communities capitalise on the benefits of renewable energy.

As a part of the announcement the State Government has also outlined a plan to implement broader planning reviews for large-scale renewable energy projects to improve community engagement and protect valuable biodiversity.

Queensland Conservation Council Director Dave Copeman said:

To give our environment the best chance at thriving we need to urgently transition our energy system away from polluting coal and gas, but equally as important, we need to make sure that we’re being responsible and building renewable energy projects in the right places.

Right now our planning frameworks are failing us and some renewable energy projects are being built in the wrong locations and communities aren’t always seeing the benefit of local development.

Today’s announcement of the updated wind code and a pathway forward for broader renewable energy planning reforms is much needed and sets Queensland on the right course to ensuring renewable energy development delivers benefits for nature and regional communities.

Cairns and Far North Environment Centre Director Lucy Graham said:

In Far North Queensland, we are facing the direct impacts of climate change and we know that we need to transition to renewable energy essential for a safe future and environment. However, we’ve also seen renewable energy projects proposed in areas of very high biodiversity which has caused a lot of distress in our community.

We can have a renewable energy industry that benefits nature and communities, but to achieve this we need laws to ensure that every developer is doing the right thing in the right places, for the benefit of all.

No matter who our government is after October 26, we need these planning reforms to be an urgent and key priority for the next state government.

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