Queensland leads the country in committed renewable energy and storage investment, according to a new report by the Clean Energy Council (CEC). The report found Queensland has 30 large-scale renewable energy and storage projects either under construction or committed, with a total capital investment worth over $10 billion.

Currently, there are 8 wind farms, 8 solar farms, and 13 big battery projects heading towards construction or commissioning across Queensland.

The Queensland Conservation Council points to the findings of this report as key evidence that Queensland’s Energy and Jobs Plan was delivering investment certainty for the industry – which is now at risk due to the current Queensland Government’s lack of an energy plan.

As rains ease after over a week of catastrophic flooding, conservation groups across the region call on fellow north Queenslander, Premier Crisafulli, to include preventative climate action and community resilience in his recovery efforts.

The North Queensland Conservation Council, Mackay Conservation Group, Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, and the Queensland Conservation Council warn climate disasters like this are on the rise. They're giving the Crisafulli Government five recommendations including stronger climate action and vital investment in making our communities more resilient.

The Queensland Conservation Council has welcomed the Future Made in Australia legislation passing the Federal Senate as a way to help Queensland take advantage of our natural renewable energy advantage to power new clean industries.

While the Australian Government has a clear plan to invest in Queensland's economic future, the Queensland Government has made repeated attacks against new clean energy and industry – risking the economic future of regional Queensland communities.

Queensland conservation councils are calling on the State Government to recognise and address the role of climate change in the ongoing floods in North Queensland.

The mining and burning of fossil fuels is driving the severity and frequency of disasters like this, and the Crisafulli Government must commit to the urgent climate action necessary to protect Queenslanders now and in the future.

The Queensland Government’s shift away from renewable energy risks jobs and is a major blow to the future of Gladstone’s economy, according to the Queensland Conservation Council (QCC).

The State Government has withdrawn support for the CQ-H2 hydrogen project, flagged their intention to repeal Queensland’s renewable energy targets, and has no energy plan to drive new energy investment.

Unreliable, ageing coal fired power stations around Australia caused supply shortages and rocketing electricity prices at the start of the 2024 summer.

The Australian Energy Market Operator's latest Quarterly Energy Dynamics reports show that between October - December 2024, an average of 30% of Queensland’s coal fleet was unavailable at any given time. That's 2.3 GW of coal capacity unavailable. The fact that these old coal fired power stations can no longer provide reliable power, has meant that prices were the highest ever recorded for the last quarter of the year.

Renewables supplied 33 per cent Queensland’s power between October - December 2024, with coal fired power dipping below 60 per cent of Queensland's energy supply for the first time ever.

Queensland Conservation Council is calling on the State Government to ensure renewable energy supply continues to come online by releasing an energy plan.

Queenslanders demanded the Albanese Government pass strong new nature laws at a Rally for Reform today, where concerned citizens will call for our beloved animals and threatened species to be safeguarded ahead of the federal election.

Trevor is a Yalangi man from Cape York who holds deep familial ties to Princess Charlotte Bay and Palmer River country in the Cape York Peninsula.

For many thousands of years, Aboriginal and Islander people walked across this beautiful land and left nothing but their footprints.

Because for us, people, culture and environment are inseparable - they are one and the same. Land and sea are mother and father - they need to be put first.

So for Aboriginal and Islander people January 26 is not a day to celebrate. It represents the beginning of colonial massacres in this country, and the downfall of the natural environment as it was then.

Our people still need healing. This country and the environment still need healing. And celebrating on this day, which marks the beginning of so much harm, only makes things worse.

Instead, we need to celebrate our land and environment, and the original cultures of Australia - from the mainland, as well as Island cultures of the Torres Strait, Tiwi Island, Christmas Island and beyond.

We can celebrate our modern Australia along with our ancient cultures, if there is respect given to all who have given and sacrificed so much to our country. Especially our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stewardship of our environment for thousands of years. We need to celebrate great Australians like David Unaipon, Neville Bonner, Eric Deeral, and the inspiring and influential Aboriginal and Islander people who walk among us today.

There’s a lot to celebrate in Australia, but we need to do it in the right way, at the right time. Only when we do that will we truly begin the real healing of people, country and the natural environment.

Trevor Meldrum
Yalangi man from Cape York
CEO of Cape York Weeds and Feral Animals Incorporated
Biosecurity Mates ambassador
Chair of QCC Board

As Queenslanders swelter through another day of high temperatures and humidity, another three units at coal fired power stations are offline. These power stations are not able to meet demand. Queensland Conservation Council says that this shows the need for an energy plan to build new renewable energy and storage to replace ageing, unreliable coal fired power stations.

Conservationists have renewed calls for the State LNP Government to provide an energy plan for Queensland's future, amid reports that Jarrod Bleijie has ordered work to be stopped on renewable energy assessments.

Queensland's Planning Department has been directed to stop work on three wind developments that were referred to the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) in November (Wongalee in North Queensland and Theodore and Bungaban in southern Queensland). Jarrod Bleijie has also issued a call in notice for Moonlight Range wind farm near Rockhampton.