Calliope to host community energy forum

Gladstone’s role at the heart of Queensland’s energy economy will be the focus of the Queensland Community Energy Forum in Calliope on Wednesday 4 November.

Residents, landholders, businesses and community members from across the region are invited to attend the free forum which will bring together experts representing agriculture, energy, resources, local government and state government to discuss the region’s energy future.

Few Queensland regions have an energy landscape as diverse or interconnected as Gladstone.

Gladstone Regional Council Mayor Cr Matt Burnett said the region had long been an enabler of economic and industrial development well beyond its own boundaries.

“The Gladstone region has helped power Australia and support its economy for decades, and energy and heavy industry remain fundamental to the identity and prosperity of this region,” Cr Burnett said.

“At the same time, the way some of those industries are powered is changing, and significant new energy development is being proposed across the broader region.

“That puts Gladstone in a unique position. We’re not starting from scratch – we have generations of experience living and working alongside major industry, and we can use that experience to help shape the next chapter.

“For us, it is about enabling investment and opportunity while making sure development works for the community that hosts it.

“That means planning ahead, understanding the cumulative impacts, involving our community in plans early and making sure the benefits of development are felt locally.”

Coexistence Queensland Chief Executive Officer Warwick Squire said bringing Queensland Community Energy Forums to regions like Gladstone was important to ensure communities had access to clear information and could engage directly and early with the organisations shaping development in their region.

“Communities should have a clear understanding of what is proposed, why it is needed, what the impacts may be and where the opportunities are for local people and businesses,” Mr Squire said.

“Forums like this give industry the opportunity to listen as well as explain, and bring landholders, communities, government and industry together to better understand the issues that matter locally.

“Decisions about electricity generation affect major employers and industries; new projects affect landholders, neighbours and communities; and changes in investment can create opportunities as well as very real questions about infrastructure, land use, workforce, local business and community benefit.

“That is why it is so important that these forums are held in the regions and involve the people who will experience those changes firsthand.”

Queensland Renewable Energy Council Chief Executive Officer, Katie-Anne Mulder, said the Gladstone region brought into sharp focus the connection between Queensland’s energy system, regional communities and major industry.

“The Gladstone region is an important example of why energy development is about much more than simply building new generation,” Ms Mulder said.

“This is one of the most important regions for the Australian economy. It has enormous existing energy demand, established resources and energy industries, and major employers making long-term decisions about how their operations will be powered into the future.

“For the renewable energy industry, the challenge is not just delivering projects. It is about working constructively with landholders and communities, and understanding how that development fits alongside agriculture, existing industry, infrastructure and regional priorities.”

The Calliope event continues the Queensland Community Energy Forum series, which has brought communities, government and industry together in regions across Queensland to discuss local energy and resources development.

The event is free to attend, with light refreshments and lunch provided.

KEY FACTS

What: Queensland Community Energy Forum – Calliope
When: Wednesday 4 November 2026
Expo: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Presentations: 9:45am – 2:30pm
Where: Calliope Community Centre, 3 Don Cameron Drive, Calliope QLD 4680
Cost: Free
Register: qldenergyforum.org.au

For more information:

W: qldenergyforum.org.au
P: 1300 548 021
E: engagement@cqld.org.au