Wide Bay neighborhood uncertainty ended over main renewables growth

• Crisafulli Government to repeal Labor’s failed Forest Wind Farm Development Act 2020 ending years of neighborhood uncertainty.
• Permanent area people and landholder certainty delivered for Wide Bay area.
• Today’s determination comes simply months after the Crisafulli Government launched nation-leading legal guidelines to supply area people and business certainty for Queensland renewable vitality tasks.
• Queenslanders have now seen 10 months of delivering for regional communities below the Crisafulli Government, after 10 years of decline below Labor. 

The Crisafulli Government has in the present day introduced it’s going to repeal the Forest Wind Farm Development Act 2020 (the Act) after wide-spread issues have been raised by the area people and years previous approvals weren’t acted on.

The proposal sought to embed as much as 226 wind generators with heights of round 160 meters in Queensland State forests between Gympie, Maryborough and the Fraser Coast.

The venture was initially proposed in 2016 below the previous Labor Government’s failed market led proposal program and renewables planning framework, with no necessities for obligatory neighborhood session or third get together enchantment rights.

Following the venture’s lack of landholder help and the venture’s enterprise accomplice withdrawal in August 2024, the Forest Wind Farm venture has failed to fulfill the minimal venture necessities agreed to by the previous Labor Government to permit it to go forward.

With no lifelike venture pathway, the Crisafulli Government is ending years of uncertainty for the area people by repealing the particular goal laws launched by Labor designed to steamroll the area people of their reckless rush to renewables.

The Crisafulli Government is re-setting the planning partnership with Councils and communities by way of an improved transparency, accountability and community-focussed growth evaluation processes.

This determination comes after the Crisafulli Government launched nation-leading legal guidelines delivering on its election dedication to empower our regional communities on renewable vitality tasks.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie mentioned that repealing the Act would take away ongoing uncertainty for native communities over the proposed large-scale renewable vitality growth.

“This Act is another example of Labor promising to deliver projects that never eventuate, while creating fear and anxiety in local communities – emblematic of their 10 years in government,” Deputy Premier Bleijie mentioned.

“The Crisafulli Government has launched nation-leading legal guidelines to provide native communities a say on main developments in their very own backyards.

“A brand new planning pathway for regulating wind farms which commenced in February 2025 was step one to requiring all wind farm proposals be impression assessable and topic to the identical rigorous approval course of as different main growth tasks.

“Our further social impact and community benefit reforms, which commenced last month, ensure that local communities are never shut out from approval processes again.”

Minister for Primary Industries and Member for Gympie Tony Perrett mentioned his neighborhood wouldn’t be mourning the dying of this Act.

“The former Labor authorities had this venture within the works for years earlier than the neighborhood obtained wind of it.

“Repealing this Act is additional proof this authorities is critical about real session relating to renewable tasks.

“These forests are important for the Gympie region both for the economic and employment benefits but also for the character of the Gympie electorate.”

Member for Maryborough John Barounis mentioned this announcement was welcome information for native residents of the Fraser Coast and Wide Bay.

“I’m proud to be part of a Government that is listening and acting on the concerns of local residents,” Mr Barounis mentioned.

“Under the former Labor Government, Maryborough was taken for granted and residents were ignored when it came to significant energy projects in our backyard.”

ENDS

Media Contact: Samantha Scott 0499 984 004