Reah Calumba

Written by Anthony Elliott In April 2024 the Queensland Government foreshadowed a mandatory renewable energy code of conduct to ensure communities get a fair share of Queensland’s renewable energy boom. So, what is the scale of the boom for Queensland? Well, big. Estimates in the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan pegged the investment at $62 Billion between 2022 and 2035, creating 100,000 jobs. Renewable energy investment, approvals and projects will need to move without delay in the next 11 years to catapult Queensland from the current rate of 27% renewable energy production to the targets of 50% by 2030, 70% by 2032 and 80% by 2035. The new code aims to set “Set standard for social licence and regional community priorities”. This includes “demonstrating tangible benefits for communities, and improvements to infrastructure, jobs, local economy, the environment and social fabric”. The case for a new code is compelling. In February 2024, the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner’s (AEIC) Community Engagement Review was publicly released and sent a strong signal that community engagement was not meeting community expectations. This included: 92% were dissatisfied with the extent to which project developers engaged with the local community 85% were dissatisfied with the explanations provided by the project developers in response to their questions 89% stated that the information they received from project developers was not relevant to the concerns they raised 85% of stated that their concerns were not addressed in a timely manner. The code is currently being co-designed with industry collaborators and a Community/Customer Outcomes Group, supported by the Energy Charter and Queensland Renewable Energy Council. The code will require renewable energy developers engage genuinely with landholders and communities when developing, building and operating new generation and storage projects. Renee Wall, Director of Wall Planning Group said ”The timing of this announcement by the government means that all planned and existing renewable energy projects in Queensland need to take a closer look at the social impact on community, and engage more deeply with communities before, and during the project lifecycle. Other large scale projects in Queensland’s many Renewable Energy Zones may also need to consider the cumulative social and community impact of their projects, alongside renewable energy projects.” As the first state mandatory code of conduct for renewable energy developers the code will set the benchmark for Community Engagement policy in Australia. ------------------- Wall Planning Group is a Queensland based planning firm specialising in supporting the delivery of major energy, resources, and development projects including project management, master planning, social impact assessment, and community engagement.

 Cattle plays a massive part of Queensland's agricultural industry and economy. With the need for cattle feedlots growing, Wall Planning Group (WPG) have obtained approvals for numerous feedlot projects across Queensland. Need feedlot approval? Here is what you need to know. Feedlots and Environmental Approvals When submitting a feedlot development application for approval, it can be a little more time consuming than many people anticipate. Where a lot of development applications may only deal with local Council, approval for a cattle feedlot can involve meeting legislative requirements of multiple State Government agencies. One prime example is an Environmental Authority (EA) . Cattle Feedlots exceeding 150 standard cattle units (SCU) are considered an Environmentally Relevant Activity (ERA) under the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019 and so require an Environmental Authority approved by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF). In addition, many farms are situated along state-controlled roads and railway corridors, others may have threatened species of flora or fauna, and some may have critical wetlands and waterways. These, and others, can require submissions of applications with the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) . This is why it is recommended that a town planner be hired to carry out the application process. WPG have the connections, knowledge, and experience to know exactly what needs to be addressed and how best to address it.