Queensland wilderness is facing an assault from “Queensland Renewable Energy Zones” policy
As the Queensland State Government pushes the transition to renewable energy in a bid to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050, a large number of renewable projects are being rolled out across the state. This is occurring against a backdrop that sees Queensland as by far the greatest land clearing state of Australia.
According to Queensland Government’s Electricity Generation Map, there are now 126 energy facilities currently operating in Queensland. These include coal, gas, solar, wind, hydro, battery, gas/ diesel and bagasse.
As of early 2023, here are 15 new power plants under construction and 141 proposed (mainly solar and wind). This is not an exhaustive list of proposals, for example the Boomer wind development is not detailed here.
In terms of land use for electricity, this represents virtually a doubling of energy plants and a vastly increased spatial footprint.
Many of the pastoral landscapes designated as future sites of renewable electricity developments contain Endangered Koalas, Endangered Central Greater Gliders and other threatened species.
The cumulative impacts of so much land clearing for renewable developments is not accounted for in the EPBC Act.
Nature is not being protected, either at a State or Federal level.
Our ecosystems are bearing the brunt of an ever-increasing number of poorly sited renewable energy developments.
Chalumbin under threat: The forests south west of Ravenshoe, Far North Queensland dubbed “Chalumbin”, are now under threat from a large-scale wind proposal, Chalumbin wind farm.
Kaban critical habitat now lost: Kaban Green Power Hub is currently under construction on the Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland. It’s only 12 kilometres away from the proposed Chalumbin wind development.
Renewable energy wind developments on the Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland - a case study
The Atherton Tablelands currently hosts 2 renewable wind developments : Mt Emerald and Windy Hill.
There are 3 wind developments in the wings: Kaban Green Power Hub (under construction), High Road wind farm and Chalumbin wind farm.
“RING OF STEEL”
If all renewable wind developments are approved for this small pocket of the Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland, the result be over 200 spinning wind turbines. All within a landscape renowned for it's iconic Australian bat and birdlife.
Habitat clearing will result in thousands of acres of remnant vegetation lost, blasted and bulldozed. The wildlife that escapes may be relocated but will likely flee in terror beforehand, seeking new habitat that is unoccupied. The likelihood of vehicle strike is increased as unused roads are suddenly intensively used by large trucks. It's hard to convey the ecological damage that building a wind farm requires.
WE SAY: There has been no consideration of the cumulative environmental impacts of so many renewable wind developments located so close to each other in the Atherton Tablelands region. We recognise the urgent need to move away from carbon emitting energy sources, but our high-biodiversity FNQ landscapes must not be collateral. Love of our wilderness is fundamental to our way of life and our values are being breached.
A haven for wildlife: site of the proposed Chalumbin wind farm. January 2022
A scene of ecological devastation: Kaban Green Power Hub, currently under construction. Image taken September 2021.
Habitat at risk: Parts of the ecologically significant Wooroora Valley may be cleared if the Chalumbin Wind Farm is approved. January 2022
Monsters in the wings: A scale comparison of the Chalumbin, Upper Burdekin, Desailly, Kaban and Mount Emerald renewable wind developments. Note Upper Burdekin wind farm is approximately the size of Cairns.
FACT: It's a challenge to track Queensland’s renewable energy development applications.
There exists no central state database that comprehensively lists the intricacies of every large-scale renewable energy project.
A COVERT APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT:
We’ve observed that local councils quietly pass approvals for industrial scale renewable developments. Affected communities are unaware of the planned renewable developments until they’re literally under construction. This is when people find their daily lives impacted by road closures, power interruptions and slowed traffic due to industrial vehicles clogging roads. It is only at this point that the people most impacted by the development understand what is taking place, and at this point the community-consultation phase has long since passed.
No social license: Bob Katter gets onboard the campaign to Keep Chalumbin Wild. Ravenshoe, Far North Queensland, November 2021
Some North Queensland proposed large-scale wind and solar developments in the pipeline:
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Kaban Green Power Hub is currently under construction on the Atherton Tablelands of Far North Queensland. Here we are witnessing an ecological disaster unfold:
28 industrial wind turbines will be installed on concrete footings of around 800m3 plus massive steel reinforcements, all likely to remain in the earth once the development is decommissioned. A concrete batching plant will be developed onsite during construction
phase.
Wind turbines will be 226m in height from base to the tip of the blade. That these will be
placed in a high bio-diversity forested area alongside many resident bird and bat species is concerning.
Heavy industrial machinery will be required for construction and maintenance, potentially
contaminating the environment with pollutants such as oil, petroleum and diesel fuels.
It is highly likely that the rotating wind turbines will kill various species of bats, raptors
and migratory birds including the endangered spectacled flying fox, brolga and vulnerable
sarus crane.
The newly constructed roads will fragment and degrade habitat and allow easy access for feral species to enter.
This development is expected to significantly impact Magnificent Brood Frog and Northern Greater Glider populations. The approval of this development is an indictment of the ineffective State and Federal laws and guidelines put in place to protect remnant wilderness from industry.Independent research:
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136 wind turbines on remnant vegetation. Upper Burdekin Wind Farm is located approximately 150km east of Greenvale and 70km inland from Ingham in North Queensland.
Upper Burdekin wind farm website which provides EPBC referral and MNES documentation
Independent research:
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A wind, solar and battery storage facility to be constructed at Desailly on the Atherton Tablelands.
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94 wind turbine development on primarily remnant wilderness near Ravenshoe, Atherton Tablelands FNQ.
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Up to 60 wind turbines 40km south west of Rockhampton.
Potential to impact squatter pigeons, koalas, greater gliders as well as other ecological communities inhabiting this area.
Spectacled Flying Foxes at risk: Currently listed under the EPBC Act as Endangered, Spectacled Flying Fox populations are further imperiled by numerous large scale renewable energy developments under construction in Far North Queensland.
Kaban Green Power Hub - A complete change of land use: From intact Eucalypt woodland to industrial-scale renewable energy development. Heavy machinery has moved in and massive habitat clearance has ensued. 28 wind turbines are being installed here. Image taken March 2022.
But isn’t there legislation to ensure Queensland’s vulnerable wildlife and intact wilderness is protected?
Unfortunately no.
Once ushered through at state level, the only protection for Vulnerable and Endangered wildlife and wilderness is the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999), which requires proponents to commission their own ecological studies to detail listed vulnerable and endangered flora and fauna that inhabit the given site.
Once reports are submitted to the Federal Government, it is purely at the discretion of the Environment Minister whether such projects are approved.
This is against a backdrop of the Federal Government recently declaring only 100 (of the thousands of threatened native animals and plants) Vulnerable and Endangered animals and plants a “priority”.
Interestingly, one of the key rationales for the selection is that flora and fauna is of “Importance to people - Culturally significant species”.
We suspect this leaves many less glamorous plants and animals off the list – out of sight, out of mind and closer to extinction.
Who is protecting our high biodiversity region?
Queensland Renewable Energy Zones provide a land grab opportunity for global industry
Worrying: Queensland Renewable Energy Zones represent a vast spatial footprint. A massive amount of land has been earmarked for renewable energy developments. We are concerned developments will clear the habitat of our most important wildllife corridor the Great Dividing Range. Source: Queensland Renewable Energy Zones
With the recent introduction of the Queensland Renewable Energy Zone scheme, the Queensland Government is using the mantra of “jobs and growth” to generate a hasty push for large scale renewable developments.
It’s a market free for-all and multi-million dollar global energy companies are granted access to vast tracts of Queensland land plus tax payer subsidies to install renewable energy developments and reap the profits, or simply on-sell authorised plans to other companies.
Just which government body is holding renewable energy corporations to account is unclear. Also unclear is whether these multinationals pay any Australian tax. Wind and solar developments can be onsold again and again, ensuring environmental responsibilities are fuzzy.
The argument that large scale renewable developments will economically bolster struggling regional communities is dubious. The reality is only ten to fifteen full time jobs are promised with many developments, most of these roles going to skilled technicians and not locals. Short term contract jobs cannot justify the destruction to wildlife and wilderness that many of these developments require.
According to QREZ literature, renewable projects will be pushed through to coincide with the upgrade of the transmission line through to Far North Queensland, in which the QLD state government is investing $40 million.
We are expecting the majority of the renewable electricity proposals to be authorised and more to come.
What will happen to our most vulnerable wildlife?
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