January 31, 2025
All new wind farm applications in Queensland will become “impact assessable” from Monday (February 3).
This means a development application will have to be lodged with the relevant local council and a public notification process undertaken.
The public will be able to submit feedback – both positive and negative – which the council must consider before making a decision on the application.
The application will be assessed against the council’s planning scheme and relevant State codes.
The State Code covering wind farm developments has also been updated.
New requirements include:
- Making sure wind new farm applications result in no significant loss of high quality agricultural land;
- Workers’ accommodation associated with the construction does not adversely affect surrounding communities;
- Decommissioning becomes the sole responsibility of the wind farm operator, guaranteed through bonds or financial guarantees and no longer leaving private landowners at risk;
- Any disturbance to environmental footprints are rehabilitated.
A State Government spokesperson said the new planning pathway for wind farms was the first step to requiring all renewable projects to become “impact assessable”.
The next phase would focus on projects such as large-scale solar farms, as well as introduce a community benefit framework for renewable energy developments that was similar to the requirements that other major development projects deliver in regional communities.