August 21, 2026
AgForce has called on the State Government to pass laws to ensure renewable energy projects are fully decommissioned and agricultural land rehabilitated at the end of a project’s life.
The peak body said under current legislation, only the landowner and the wind farm operator were bound by the conditions of approval relating to decommissioning.
AgForce CEO Niki Ford said as renewable energy development continued across regional Queensland, landholders must be sure that the full cost of removing infrastructure and restoring land would never become their responsibility.
“That confidence can only be achieved through a robust financial assurance framework that guarantees decommissioning obligations will be met, regardless of whether a project is sold or the original operator becomes insolvent,” she said.
“Current government guidance acknowledges the importance of decommissioning planning, but there is no mandated statutory requirement for proponents to provide independently secured financial assurance guaranteeing that decommissioning costs will be met.
“In our view, this leaves an unacceptable level of uncertainty for landholders and regional communities.”
