Today's long-awaited decision to ban new oil and gas in the Channel Country is a huge win for the region's diverse wildlife and the future health of the Lake Eyre basin.

Conservationists have welcomed the decision by Premier Steven Miles, which follows years of opposition by Traditional Owners, graziers and environmentalists to oil and gas projects in the region.

The final SEQ Regional Plan update  shows an increased recognition of the need to reign in urban sprawl, and to design better, more resilient, cities and communities.

Many of the features of this updated Plan reflect the principles that SGS Economics & Planning suggested in their independent report Best Practice Regional Planning for SEQ.

However, it does not go far enough in protecting and restoring critical habitat, and ensuring the sustainability and liveability of our communities.

Queensland Conservation Council is calling on the Queensland Government and Opposition to respond fully to the ongoing FNQ flood disasters, and take action to keep Queenslanders safe now and in the future. This includes bipartisan emission reduction targets, and climate resilient planning that properly assesses the impact of climate change.

Queensland's new target of 75% emissions reduction by 2035 will drive strong climate action across the state, with conservationists urging the State LNP to commit to a bipartisan approach to the target.

The Queensland Conservation Council welcomes indications that the Queensland Government will support the greater uptake of household battery storage via a new Battery Booster Program. When the program opens it will provide rebates of up to $4,000 for households to install a battery, playing a pivotal role in the roll out of renewables.

“Supporting households to match their bill-slashing solar with batteries is a forward-looking initiative that will increase reliability of our energy system and help many households bring their bills down,” said Stephanie Gray, Campaigner at Queensland Conservation Council. 

“Batteries also play a key role in bringing down wholesale power prices for everyone by providing affordable energy when we might otherwise have to rely on expensive gas generators.

“We’ve seen Queensland’s coal-fired power stations become less and less reliable as they get older. Coal generators also struggle in high heat, meaning as climate change drives hotter temperatures and more frequent heat waves they will be more likely to trip and withdraw very significant amounts of electricity from the system.

“Increasing the uptake of batteries, including household, community and network batteries, increases the resilience of our energy system and will help keep the lights on. Batteries can react with lightning speed to plug gaps in our electricity supply.

“As Queensland gears up to close our ageing coal-fired power stations it’s essential that we invest in all different forms of energy storage, like batteries, pumped hydro and even electric vehicles that can feed electricity back into the grid, so that we have cheap renewable energy available around the clock.

“We’d like to see the Queensland Government make this scheme available to Queenslanders as soon as possible.”

Media contact: Stephanie Gray 0425543006

Queensland Conservation Council and National Parks Association Queensland welcome plans to protect more than 1,500 hectares of land on Curtis Island off the coast of Gladstone after the State Government purchased a cattle station and announced plans to expand the existing national park.

The State Government purchased Spadely Station on the north of the island, and announced a master planning process will be undertaken to map a path toward sustainable ecotourism, park and visitor management.

"This is a win for flatback turtles and migratory birds. This expansion will create more jobs in nature, both rangers and caretakers of the park and in nature based tourism," QCC protected areas campaigner Nicky Moffat said.

The successful passage of the Restoring our Rivers Bill through the Senate heralds a breakthrough in efforts to revive Australia's largest river system to health, leading environment organisations from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland said today.

With more than 340,000 hectares of bushland cleared each year, Queensland continues to push threatened species to the brink of extinction. Only 21 field visits were carried out in 2022-2023, demonstrating that the Palaszczuk Government is leaving broadscale clearing unchecked. With the majority of clearing taking place in 'unregulated' lands known as Category X, it can now be revealed that there are remnant ecosystems, home to koalas and endangered reptiles within these areas that are not being protected. 

As many parts of regional Queensland transition to more renewables in their energy mix, the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) and Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) will help community stakeholders to work together more effectively towards more effective outcomes for their region.

The Queensland Conservation Council is ratcheting pressure on those who disregard environmental laws through the formation of "Queensland Conservation Council Ltd" (QCC Ltd), a new entity focused on the enforcement of environmental laws in Queensland.  

Queensland Conservation Council Inc (which is an association incorporated under Queensland law) remains the peak conservation group in Queensland, campaigning and coordinating with other conservation groups to protect Queensland’s environment. 

QCC Ltd will operate independently from Queensland Conservation Council Inc. Its primary mission being to undertake proactive actions aimed at enforcing Queensland laws. The first of these actions is planned to launch in the coming months. 

"Queensland Conservation Council is not sitting idly by in the face of the ongoing failure of our state's environmental laws to protect the environment we depend on," warns Emily Kain, Chair of Queensland Conservation Council Inc. "We are deeply concerned about the rampant disregard for the critical regulations that are meant to safeguard our environment."

We don’t have an independent Environmental Protection Agency in Queensland, so we are stepping up to fill the gap. 

QCC Ltd, empowered by our strong sense of duty to protect the environment, is dedicated to battling these injustices head-on. Their mission is to ensure that no lawbreaker escapes accountability, regardless of their influence.

"Together with our devoted allies and environmental champions, we've been at the forefront of the conservation movement since 1969. Now, with the creation of QCC Ltd, we're fortifying our legacy by holding accountable those who violate environmental laws", declares Emily Kain.

The birth of QCC Ltd signifies a new era of uncompromising commitment to preserving Queensland's pristine natural wonders and the continuation of Queensland Conservation Council's time-honored tradition of safeguarding our environment.

For media inquiries and additional information, please contact:

Jenny Brown, Climate Lead

[email protected]

0412 899 059