{"id":348672,"date":"2024-05-29T16:54:03","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T06:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=348672"},"modified":"2024-05-29T17:24:10","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T07:24:10","slug":"gympie-votes-down-moratorium-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2024\/05\/29\/gympie-votes-down-moratorium-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Gympie Votes Down Moratorium Call"},"content":{"rendered":"
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South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff has called for a moratorium on renewable energy projects (Photo: Maggie O’Shannessy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 29, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gympie Regional Council has refused to support a proposed moratorium on renewable energy projects in the region, despite being asked to do so by the South Burnett Regional Council.<\/p>\n

The 8-1 vote on Wednesday by GRC councillors means Gympie will not be supporting a push to get the Wide Bay Burnett Regional Organisation of Councils (WBBROC) to back a moratorium across the region.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Wide Bay-Burnett has been identified by the State Government as a “Renewable Energy Zone” and there are multiple renewable plans on the drawing board, including the Borumba Dam pumped hydro\u00a0project.<\/p>\n

WBBROC, which has only just reformed after being in mothballs for much of 2022-23, consists of representatives from the North Burnett, South Burnett, Cherbourg, Fraser Coast and Gympie councils.<\/p>\n

Bundaberg Regional Council was formerly a member, and may rejoin the umbrella group which advocates to the State and Federal gpvernments on behalf of its member councils.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, SBRC councillors unanimously endorsed a motion by Mayor Kathy Duff that a moratorium of all large-scale wind, solar, battery energy storage systems, pumped hydro and related transmission projects be imposed until:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 A bond is held from start of any renewables project with guaranteed finance in place to cover decommissioning and full project removal, disposal and rehabilitation costs at end-of-life;<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Appropriate regulations are in place to protect threatened and endangered species;<\/em><\/p>\n

3. Large-scale renewable projects be subject to full State Government approval processes and be made impact-assessable not code-assessable;<\/em><\/p>\n

4. An appropriate land access framework to protect the environment, cultural heritage, existing land users and local roads and infrastructure is established;<\/em><\/p>\n

5. Minimal impact upon existing ratepayers is negotiated;<\/em><\/p>\n

6. Australia\u2019s food security is protected by prohibiting large-scale renewable projects on prime agricultural land; (See Paris Agreement Article 2 (1) (b));<\/em><\/p>\n

7. All large-scale renewable projects comply with the same regulations that apply to agriculture and mining;<\/em><\/p>\n

8. Large-scale renewable projects are added as a trigger to the EPBC Act;<\/em><\/p>\n

9. A mandatory code of conduct is established to govern the renewable energy sector and renewable energy proponents\u2019 conduct with affected communities, including notifying the relevant Local Government of potential projects.<\/em><\/p>\n

10. Owners of large-scale renewable developments indemnify adjoining private landowners from any public liability risk;<\/em><\/p>\n

11. Where Local Government is the assessment agency, that appropriate mechanisms are incorporated in local government planning schemes to allow Council to apply conditions that protect local roads and infrastructure and other key assets.<\/em><\/p>\n

WBBROC is due to meet on Friday, and the lack of time ahead of this meeting was one of the concerns stated by GRC councillors.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another was the fact that a moratorium could have unintended consequences, including delaying key environmental reports.<\/p>\n

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