Calliope forum puts local voices at the centre of energy development

The Queensland Community Energy Forum in Calliope yesterday discussed how new energy development fits alongside farms, major industry and local communities.

Over 110 landholders, residents, local businesses, industry and government representatives took part in a program focused on what energy and resources development looks like on the ground in the Gladstone region.

Discussions covered the practical issues that sit behind major project development, including land access and biosecurity, local procurement and jobs, workforce and infrastructure pressures, cumulative impacts, planning and approvals, and how local priorities can be reflected in community benefits.

Gladstone Regional Council Mayor Cr Matt Burnett said the people who knew the region best needed to be at the centre of decisions about its future.

“When we’re talking about Gladstone’s future, the voices that matter most are those of the people who live here, work here and run businesses here,” Cr Burnett said.

“Gladstone knows major industry. We know the opportunities it can create, but we also understand the pressure it can put on roads, services, businesses, landholders and communities if growth isn’t planned well.

“Local people understand what makes this region work. Their experience should help shape how development happens, how impacts are managed and how we make sure the benefits are felt here in Gladstone.”

Coexistence Queensland Chief Executive Officer Warwick Squire said the practical nature of the discussion showed why these conversations needed to happen in the regions where development was proposed.

“These issues aren’t theoretical when you’re the landholder, neighbour, business owner, or council dealing with them day to day,” Mr Squire said.

“For a landholder, it might be access, biosecurity and keeping a working property running. For the wider community, it might be roads, workforce, local services, procurement, and long term benefits.

“Putting those issues in the same room with project teams and government gives everyone a much clearer picture of what development needs to account for locally – and gives proponents the chance to hear directly from the people who know the region best.”

Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC) Chief Executive Officer Katie-Anne Mulder said renewable energy development had an important role in meeting Gladstone’s electricity needs and supporting its industrial future.

“Gladstone’s industries need reliable, competitively priced electricity to keep operating and investing in the region,” Ms Mulder said.

“We need renewable generation, storage and supporting infrastructure delivered in time to support existing industries and meet the electricity needs of new investment.

“Getting those projects built means working with landholders, local communities, businesses and councils to manage cumulative pressures on roads, services and the local workforce, address farm access and identify opportunities for local suppliers.

“Forums like this help identify those issues early, so projects can deliver the electricity industry needs while managing local impacts and delivering lasting benefits for the region.”

Following the forum, participants had the opportunity to travel to Acciona Energia’s Aldoga Solar Farm and drive past Powerlink Queensland’s Larcom Creek Substation for a site tour, taking the day’s discussion out of room and into onto developed project sites in the region.

The visit provided an opportunity to see large-scale energy development firsthand, ask questions on site and continue the practical conversations about how projects interact with the communities and regions in which they are built.

For more information, visit qldenergyforum.org.au.