Melbourne Event: The real cost of renewables
When: 6pm - 9pm Tuesday 18th February, 2025
Where: Hawthorn Arts Centre, main hall, Level 1/360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Book your free tickets here: https://realcostofrenewables.eventbrite.com.au
JOIN US for a thought-provoking evening as we share our insights and concerns from the front line of forests set to be cleared for large-scale wind and solar complexes in Queensland. Learn about what’s in store for Victoria and Tasmania.
Hear about our legal challenge to stop the ecologically catastrophic Upper Burdekin / Gawara Baya wind complex set to be strewn across 29,000 hectares of high-elevation, uniquely biodiverse ancient forest of the Seaview Range in North Queensland. Here threatened species live including a thriving population of healthy Northern Koalas.
Hear from a wide range of fascinating speakers including:
Roger Martin, wildlife biologist and Koala researcher
Aidan Morrison, Director of Energy Research at the Centre for Independent Studies
Hamish Cumming, conservationist, on the importance of Brolga conservation in Victoria
Steven Nowakowski, wilderness photographer and environmentalist.
After the speakers, join us for a Q and A!
Ingham Event: Save Mount Fox from industrialization
We’re coming to Ingham for another free community event…
INGHAM REGION RESIDENTS
Large scale industrial energy complexes are coming to you. In the works are Mount Fox– Battery Energy Storage, Mount Fox wind farm (with wind turbines up to 300m high), Upper Burdekin wind farm and Karma wind farm.
What will this mean for you? Please join us to find out and watch the premier of our new short film.
When: Wednesday, 4th December 2024
Time: 6.00 p.m. until 8.00 p.m
Where: Hinchinbrook Shire Hall, 25 Lannercost St, Ingham QLD. The Shire Hall is located above Council's Customer Service Centre.
Cost: Free entry!
Book your free ticket here: https://savemountfox.eventbrite.com.au
Watch our film, get informed about what is planned and how it will impact you!
Food and drinks will be sold, and proceeds donated to Rainforest Reserves Australia to support the fight to stop the industrialization of the Mt Fox Wet Tropics region.
Speaker: Steven Nowakowski, Environmentalist. Steven is a nature photographer and Rainforest Reserves Australia board member.
Don’t miss this important community event!
Contact us at info@rainforestreserves.org.au
SEQ QLD free information event: Forest Wind Farm and Borumba Pumped Hydro. What’s the rush to destroy biodiversity?
INVITATION: we cordially invite you to join us at our next 'free' information event in the Gympie region.
WHEN: Saturday, September 21, 11am - 1pm
WHERE: Chatsworth Hall, 3 Allen Road, Chatsworth, QLD 4570
Listen to environmentalist Steven Nowakowski and Adjunct Professor Stephen Wilson, energy economist, discuss the impacts of proposed renewable developments in SEQ.
Please join us. All welcome. Complimentary refreshments served.
Book here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/.../forest-wind-and-borumba...
About us:
Rainforest Reserves Australia, based in FNQ, has been active during the last 3 years campaigning against poorly sited renewables in QLD to defend the critical habitat of our Great Dividing Range. We stood alongside the community to oppose the proposed Chalumbin wind farm FNQ, and were gratified when Minister Plibersek advised she would reject the project in April 2024. We are now legally challenging the Federal Government approval of the Upper Burdekin wind farm in North Qld.
About our speakers:
Steven Nowakowski is a widely published nature photographer who specialises in natural history subjects and publications. In 2022, Steven was announced as the recipient of the William T. Cooper Conservation Award by the Tree Kangaroo and Mammal Group of the Atherton Tablelands (FNQ) for his tireless conservation work.
Adjunct Professor Stephen Wilson is an energy economist with 30 years experience on assignments in over 30 countries. For the past four years he has been involved in academia at University of Queensland, in research and teaching. He is now continuing his involvement in research supervision on a part-time basis, while his main focus now is on advisory work, including commercialisation of new technology .
Free event: Transition to Extinction talk
You’re invited to our next community information event at Cairns JCU, March 6th, 4pm to 6pm. All welcome.
We invite you to hear first-hand the latest information regarding the renewables rollouts in Queensland.
When: Wednesday 6th of March, 4pm to 6pm
Where: James Cook University, Nguma-bada campus, 1/14-88 McGregor Rd, Smithfield, Cairns, QLD 4878
Register for free tickets: https://TransitiontoExtinction.eventbrite.com.au
Hear about:
Why protecting natural habitats is crucial
Community impacts and social license re: renewables
Indigenous and cultural heritage
The industrialisation of former ‘green groups’
The ‘QZOO’ concept
Legal implications
Speakers include:
Adjunct Professor Tim Nevard (JCU)
Jirrbal Traditional Custodians
Carolyn Emms and Steven Nowakowski (Rainforest Reserves Australia)
Dominica Tannock – DST Law, Melbourne
More speakers TBC
We want you to leave on a positive note, with a plan of action.
*Enjoy complimentary refreshments on arrival
Everybody is welcome. Please bring along your family and friends. Please ask your local politicians and Council members to come along too.
Become a Rainforest Reserves Australia member (free) :
Final Rally for Chalumbin - picnic for Chalumbin
Picnic for Chalumbin - Final Rally 9th Sept
This is our final rally for Chalumbin - please come along.
Saturday 9th September between 10am- 12pm.
Ravenshoe Lions Park,
Grigg st, Ravenshoe.
Bring your Chalumbin signs, banners and ropes!
Members of the Ravenshoe and Tablelands regional communities are welcome to join us to also meet special guest journalist Nick Cater from The Australian to have their say about Chalumbin.
Nibbles provided
Chalumbin wind farm Draft Public Environment Report now open for comment
Finally the Draft PER has been published for Chalumbin wind farm.
.We encourage you to read to it here:
Chalumbin wind farm DRAFT PER on EPBC Portal
Update: Due to an administrative error, public submissions have been extended and now close on January 9, 2023.
Trying to read the draft PER is daunting. But don’t be discouraged. Your voice matters and should be heard. Don’t know what to write in response?
Speak from the heart on the reasons why Chalumbin shouldn’t be developed for a wind farm:
Why do you care about the Chalumbin wilderness?
What about the cultural heritage of Chalumbin?
How will land clearing and habitat clearance for the wind farm afffect wildlife in the area?
Threatened Northern Greater Gliders inhabit Chalumbin, so to do Magnificent Broodfrogs - why should their homes be threatened?
Find out more at the upcoming public meeting hosted by Stop Chalumbin Wind Farm at Ravenshoe Townhall:
Where: Ravenshoe Town Hall, Grigg st, Ravenshoe, 1pm Saturday the 19 November
Keep Chalumbin Wild! Stop the wind farm: public event
Please come to our next community meeting on 1st October, in Ravenshoe. Find out more here.
When: Saturday Oct 1, 1pm - 4pm
Where: Ravenshoe Primary School at the Hall, Ascham st, Ravenshoe
A free event
Come along and hear important updates from the campaign to protect the Chalumbin wilderness against an industrial-scale wind development.
Empower yourself with new information
Find out the steps we can take as a community to Keep Chalumbin Wild.
Now is the time to turn up and show your support. We need everyone there!
Complimentary refreshments, good company, like-minded souls, standing together for Chalumbin.
Come along and get involved: all are welcome.
Reserve your tickets here: https://KeepChalumbinWildEvent.eventbrite.com.au
or
RSVP: info@rainforestreserves.org.au
One bad Apple destroys Koala habitat
On 11th August, Apple inc. announced their bid to protect the planet by purchasing “80,000 homes” worth of renewable electricity from the proposed Twiggy Forrest-backed Windlab’s Upper Burdekin wind farm, capable of powering “300,000 homes”.
Apple are “greenwashing” by purchasing Upper Burdekin wind farm electricity that will result in destruction of confirmed Koala habitat.
On 11th August, Apple inc. announced their bid to protect the planet by purchasing annually “80,000 homes” worth of renewable electricity from the proposed Twiggy Forrest-backed Windlab’s Upper Burdekin wind farm, capable of powering “300,000 homes”.
The proposed Upper Burdekin wind farm is to be located 65km south west of Ingham, Far North Queensland. It will border the globally significant Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. 136 wind turbines will be installed on the high-elevation, remnant wilderness of the western side of the Great Dividing Range. A massive 887ha of high value vegetation will be cleared to install the turbines and electrical infrastructure. This site harbours a significant Koala population and is home to other critically endangered wildlife such Sharman’s Rock Wallabies, Red Goshawks and more.
Upper Burdekin is the wrong location for an industrial scale wind farm: such extensive remnant habitat destruction means this is not a “green” development, no matter how you spin it. Our priceless biodiversity should not be sacrificed for an industrial-scale wind development.
Our concerns:
Are backroom deals between Government and multinationals (with vested interests) taking place? Apple confidently state in their release that the Upper Burdekin wind farm is to commence operations in 2026. But the Upper Burdekin wind farm hasn’t yet been approved by Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Do Apple and Twiggy know something we don’t?
Renewable developments are too hastily pushed through. In keeping with poorly thought-through QREZ policy, the Upper Burdekin wind farm proposal appears to have been rushed through the approvals process. According to the EPBC Public Portal, Upper Burdekin wind farm documents were lodged only 5 months ago, but the project is already under Federal assessment with a decision from Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek pending. Such urgency means no real consideration is given to the ecological impacts of renewable developments.
How many wind farms will we need if electricity is to be purchased by multinationals so they can look “green”? Renewable developments are supposedly built with the promise to provide renewable electricity to Australian households. They’re not built for multinationals to purchase electricity to offset their own carbon emissions and environmental pollution. Moreover, there is no consideration of the cumulative impacts of so many renewable energy developments set for North Queensland in any state or federal legislation. ( Chalumbin wind farm, Mt Fox wind farm, High Road wind farm, under development Kaban wind farm and more).
There is a lack of transparency regarding the agreement made between Apple and Windlab. Both Apple and Windlab are multinationals set to mutually benefit from this arrangement: Apple will benefit from the optics of the “green” electricity claim and Windlab will happily pocket their money. It’s a win-win for them, but not for the people of Australia, and certainly not for our wildlife. This sets a troubling precedent that encourages other multinationals to purchase our renewable electricity to offset their negative environmental impacts.
We question whether it is possible to offset carbon emissions and environmental destruction by purchasing theoretical renewable electricity at all.
Here’s something we know. Our nature, including our wildlife, cannot recover from the cumulative large-scale clearance of our native forests that to date have only been protected by their altitude. And now our mountain tops are proposed to be cleared. There is no offset that can ever compensate for this level of damage to the land and to wildlife habitat. It cannot be revegetated or rehabilitated in our lifetime. The damage to wilderness will be irreparable.
Media enquiries: please email info@rainforestreserves.org.au
Cairns Community Information Event: Rethinking Renewables and their ecological impacts
All our welcome to attend our community meeting at Cairns Colonial Club, Lockhart room on Sunday 15 May 2022. Register for free tickets now!
When: Sunday, May 15
Where: Cairns Colonial Club conference centre, Lockhart Room, 18-26 Cannon Street, Manunda, QLD, 4870
Parking Behan st
Register here for free tickets: https://cairnsmeeting.eventbrite.com.au
*Complimentary refreshments provided*
The ancient, fragile mountain ranges of the Wet Tropics are in peril from industrialisation due to numerous proposed renewable energy developments. These biodiverse ridgelines, previously inaccessible, form part of the Great Dividing Range that stretches all the way down to Victoria. The cooler, high-altitude climbs offer refuge for wildlife and contain perhaps the highest biodiversity of any Australian landscape.
A tidal wave of renewable energy developments are in the pipeline and may spell doom for thousands of species of wildlife: Red Goshawks, Greater Gliders, Koalas, Sharman's Rock-Wallabies and more.
Giant renewable energy corporations have no social, cultural or environmental license to be here. They are exploiting our environmental permits and draining our resources and taxpayer dollars away. The billions of dollars of subsidies primarily benefit the developers leaving us with a trail of waste.
We invite our entire community to this educational and informative event to find out how the proposed renewable developments will affect us.
We will leave you with a message of hope and action that can start today!
Everyone welcome.
Tully Community Information Event: Not all Renewables are created equal…
Please join us to hear a range of speakers discuss the ecological impacts of inappropriately located renewable wind and solar developments in Far North Queensland.
When: Sat, 23 Apr 2022 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Where: Multipurpose Hall, Tully High School, 59337 Bruce Highway Tully, QLD 4854
This is a free community event hosted by Rainforest Reserves Australia.
Enjoy complimentary refreshments and snacks.
Advertised as "clean and green", poorly-sited wind and solar developments are anything but.
It's not too late to stand up and say "No" to inappropriately sited wind developments that are at the proposal stage in NQ. Come along to the Tully Community Information Event and find out more.
When wind developments are constructed on ecologically rich NQ landscapes:
Landscapes of cultural significance are lost forever.
Wildlife is relocated, maimed, injured, killed.
Mountain tops are dynamite blasted creating extensive soil erosion.
Feral pests such as dogs, pigs and cats are granted "easy access" to wilderness via thousands of km's of newly created haulage roads.
Invasive weeds are introduced - extremely difficult and costly to remove.
High conservation value bats and raptors are killed by turbine blades.
Vulnerable Sharman's Rock Wallaby habitat is destroyed.
Endangered Koala habitat is destroyed.
Endangered frog and fish habitats in wetlands, rivers and creeks may be contaminated by heavy industry fuel spills.
Extensive land clearing will impact the breeding cycle of wildlife and may drive vulnerable populations to extinction.
The cumulative impacts of the industrialisation of our Great Dividing Range will destroy our water cycle and impair the cooling effects of our wetlands, rivers and creeks.
Register your free tickets here:
We’ve made the news
The Keep Chalumbin Wild campaign has made the news once again.
14.03.22
We’re excited to see the campaign to Keep Chalumbin Wild is gaining steam, being covered in online ABC news and on ABC Queensland below:
Update: Community meeting cancelled
Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley is set to visit Ravenshoe on March 14, 2022.
10.03.22 UPDATE: COMMUNITY MEETING CANCELLED
Dear supporters, unfortunately Minister Sussan Ley has postponed her trip to Ravenshoe next week. So we have decided to cancel Monday's community meeting at Ravenshoe Townhall.
We apologize for the cancellation. Although we anticipate that politician’s plans are subject to change at the last minute, this is disappointing.
We look forward to updating you with new campaign developments at the next community meeting. We’ll confirm the date of this as soon as possible.
In the meantime, we stand together to #KeepChalumbinWild to defend the habitat of the beautiful #SarusCrane, amongst other wildlife.
STOP PRESS: Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley is set to visit Ravenshoe, Far North Queensland on Monday the 14th of March. She plans to be at Ravenshoe Townhall at 10am to meet with the community about the proposed Chalumbin wind development.
Please come along and have your voice heard. ALL WELCOME!
13.02.22 Tree planting at Lake Barrine
What a wonderful day yesterday!
2,500 more rainforest trees into the ground by over 70 volunteers.
So good to plant young plants that will grow big and tall to provide habitat, water quality, oxygen and rain.
A very big thank you to Reef Assist, NQ Land Management Services, TREAT, Rainforest 4, and all the volunteers.
Generously hosted by the TREAT team and facilitated by Reef Assist, NQ Land Management Services, Rainforest4 and all the fabulous volunteers we planted 2,500 more rainforest trees into the ground at Lake Barrine Nature Reserve.
So good to plant young plants that will grow big and tall to provide habitat, water quality, oxygen and rain.
Thank you to the 70 volunteers who came to assist!
