<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/act-of-bastardry-queensland-lnp-government-kills-another-giant-wind-project/>
"The Queensland state LNP government has scrapped another approved wind project
in what is being called “an act of bastardry”, and accusations that the state
is openly rejecting renewables as it moves to re-open coal country.
In a deeply worrying development, deputy premier and planning minister Jarrod
Bleijie is repealing a law allowing wind farms to be built in state-owned
plantations — and it appears deliberately designed to kill the proposed 1.2
gigawatt (GW) Forest Wind project.
The project was proposed for the state-owned Tuan-Toolara pine plantation
between Gympie and Maryborough and made possible by the
Forest Wind Farm
Development Act 2020.
Bleijie appeared to be reaching for reasons to cancel the Forest Wind project,
citing in a statement everything from the exit of developer Tilt Renewables in
August 2024, after it bought a 50 per cent stake in early 2023, to unnamed but
“widespread” community concerns.
He also cited the failure to act on development approvals awarded in 2020, even
though the project is still stuck in the federal environmental queue.
The statement said these reasons together meant it “failed to meet the minimum
project requirements” set this year.
“This Act is another example of Labor promising to deliver projects that never
eventuate, while creating fear and anxiety in local communities,” Bleijie said
in a statement.
“Our further social impact and community benefit reforms, which commenced last
month, ensure that local communities are never shut out from approval processes
again.”
Forest Wind project director James Pennay says the decision today came as a
shock and he denied there was widespread community opposition.
“We’ve had ongoing conversations around the land tenure and government process
but is a surprise that they are planning to repeal the legislation,” he told
Renew Economy.
“For a project of this scale we’ve received very little opposition and we’ve
responded to the concerns that have been raised. We’ve had hundreds of
businesses register expressions of interest in that region. We’ve got tens of
farmers and landowners who’ve entered agreements with us. And the environmental
groups have been hugely supportive given the lack of impact on ecological
considerations.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
