Queensland moves to crack down on windfarms and exempt Olympic venues from planning laws
The deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, introduced legislation into state parliament on Thursday requiring all green energy developers to undertake community consultation and making them subject to legal challenge.
A second leg of the bill would also exempt sporting facilities planned for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics from a swathe of planning laws – including a 60,000 seat stadium on a heritage-listed massacre site – making the government's multibillion-dollar construction program immune to legal challenge.
Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter
Queensland Conservation Council director, Dave Copeman, criticised the government's move to toughen legislation around renewable energy projects while at the same time a 'loophole' in state legislation means some coalmines producing less than 2m tonnes a year aren't required to obtain a state environmental impact statement (EIS). They might still be required to get one under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
He said the government's overall approach – including a decision to keep coal power stations open longer – would slow the transition to renewables.
Central Queensland community advocate Paul Stephenson said the loophole has meant a mine near his family farm at Monto, 150 kilometres south of Gladstone, hasn't been required to formally consult with local landholders.
'It just doesn't pass the pub test, right? Why should a solar farm be held to a higher standard, with more stringent conditions than an open cut coalmine?' he said.
He said numerous communities had been threatened by coalmines not required to undertake consultation due to a lack of a state EIS.
Bleijie said the legislation implemented an election promise that green projects 'would be subject to the same rigorous approval process as other major resource developments'.
It requires all renewables proponents to conduct a social impact assessment and enter into a community benefit agreement with local councils before lodging a development application.
In Queensland, wind projects are currently treated as code assessable, the less strict regulatory process. The new legislation makes them impact assessable, which means proponents are required to undertake public consultation and makes them subject to lawsuits from opponents.
'Under these changes, regional communities will finally be in the driver's seat when it comes to renewable energy projects in their back yard,' Bleijie said.
Another section of the bill would 'streamline the planning approvals process' for infrastructure for the Olympics, he said.
The bill provides that any Games-related development is not subject to approval under a dozen planning laws, including the Planning Act.
Opposition group Save Victoria Park is fundraising for a legal challenge to the Games' main stadium.
Spokesperson Rosemary O'Hagan said the government planned to 'bulldoze the city's planning, environment, nature and heritage laws'.
'It's a slap in the face to the community, and to democracy,' she said.
The plan violates two election campaign promises, as the premier, David Crisafulli, had promised not to build any new stadiums for the Olympics, and not to build one in Victoria Park, while vying to unseat the then Labor government at October's poll.
Minister for the Olympics and Paralympics, Tim Mander, said not passing the legislation would put 'at risk our ability to be able to build the infrastructure that's required'.
Planning approval is due for completion in the third quarter of next year, according to the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority. On Thursday Mander said 'those targets will be met'.
Exempting stadiums from development rules set a 'worrying' 'precedent' for other projects, such as resources schemes, the QCC's Copeman said.
The government also plans to amend or repeal the state's renewable energy target.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
F1 summer shutdown, when it ends and what it means for teams and drivers
For two weeks in ever summer break in the Formula 1 season, the FIA enforces a mandatory shutdown period We're a week into the summer break in the Formula 1 season, but drivers and team staff are only now just beginning to get a break. That is because the sport's mandatory 'shutdown' period only actually began on Monday, August 11. The sporting regulations make it clear that, for "a period of 14 consecutive calendar days", F1 teams are extremely limited in terms of what they are allowed to do. Put simply, the FIA mandates that no Formula 1-related activities are allowed to be carried out during that shutdown period – but what does that actually mean? It is important to be specific with things like this in a sport in which marginal performance gains can make a massive difference. And especially in a season such as this one where margins are so tight, with just one or two tenths of a second often the difference between a strong qualifying and a disastrous Q1 exit. Unsurprisingly, anything to do with car performance is off-limits. So wind tunnels are offline, as are simulators, while you won't find any engineers tinkering with designs at any factories. It is all forbidden, to the extent that even emails, meetings and calls about any performance-related subjects are not allowed and, if caught breaking those rules, heavy penalties can be applied. But that is not to say that absolutely everything within a team's operations has to stop during shutdown. Staff who do not directly contribute to performance, such as those who work in marketing and legal departments, are allowed to continue to work. Site maintenance is also allowed, meaning factories will not close fully. Teams usually take the opportunity to carry out deep cleaning of their facilities, as well as servicing of essential systems such as lighting, heating, air conditioning and also of the expensive and elaborate machines used in the design and manufacturing process. Why does F1 have a summer shutdown? There are human and financial reasons behind the mandated period of no performance-related work. To deal with the money aspect first of all, it helps teams to better manage their expenditure in the modern era of the sport in which there is a budget cap which limits how much cash teams can throw at their cars. But the most important reason is staff wellbeing, at a time when 24 Grands Prix and six Sprint races are held per year, across five continents. A breather is vital amid that very intense schedule and it gives those who are otherwise working flat out and travelling all over the globe a chance to clock off and get reacquainted with their families and friends. When will the 2025 F1 summer shutdown end? The second portion of the season kicks off with the Dutch Grand Prix on the last weekend of August. Given everything will need to be transported to Zandvoort, including personnel, early that week, it would be impossible for a shutdown to still be ongoing any later than Sunday, August 24. That is the 14th consecutive day after Monday, August 11, when shutdown began, and so serves as the final day of the period as per the sporting regulations. From there, it will be a flat-out sprint to the end of the season with 10 race weekends still to come in a period of just 15 weeks. Is there another shutdown period? Yes. There is a second mandatory shutdown period each year, which comes into force after the end of the season. Following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 7, there will be a couple of weeks for teams to debrief, take part in the post-season test and continue to work on their 2026 cars. But for nine consecutive days, starting on December 24, performance-related activities are again prohibited. That ensures staff get the chance to spend some time off again with their families, when many will be celebrating the festive period and cheering in the New Year.
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Glasgow Commonwealth Games in ‘existential crisis' after marathon snub
He said he was starting to wonder if the organisers of the sporting extravaganza were even capable of organising an egg and spoon race, due to what appeared to be a 'lamentable lack of efficiency, ambition and initiative'. Canavan's concerns are growing after his most recent letter to the Commonwealth Games Federation has not even had the 'courtesy' of an acknowledgment. 'With that level of incompetence, I fear that, in the longer term, the Commonwealth Games is facing an existential crisis,' he told the Sunday National. READ MORE: 'F***ing slags': Oasis take aim at Edinburgh Council chiefs in first Murrayfield gig Having run 15 marathons in the past, Canavan was shocked to find there were no plans for one in the Games next year. 'It beggars belief,' he said. 'The marathon is one of the most prestigious and iconic events in the history of world athletics, dating back to the 5th century BC.' He arranged meetings with some of the organisers who gave him a 'polite hearing' but stood by their decision. Canavan said he then decided 'to swallow his republican loyalties' by writing to the King in his capacity as Patron of the Commonwealth Games. Co-signatories of the letter included former first minister of Scotland, Henry McLeish; former lord provost and lord lieutenant of the City of Glasgow, Alex Mosson; former Commonwealth Games marathon runner Ross Houston; a press officer for Team Scotland in a previous Commonwealth Games and several MSPs. 'After waiting several months for a reply, I had to chase up some flunkey in Buckingham Palace before I eventually got a letter advising me to contact the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF),' said Canavan. He then wrote to the CGF's chief executive, Katie Sadleir, but had to contact her office several times before eventually getting a response. In it, she said road events such as the marathon were being excluded to 'reduce operational complexity, ensure significant savings in transport and security costs and minimise the disruption for the general public by avoiding road closures'. However, Canavan wrote back suggesting the marathon could be self-financing if it were a mass participation event with the elite athletes representing their countries starting before the mass participants who would pay a fee to enter. 'Thousands of runners would be willing to pay to participate in such a prestigious event which could also attract corporate sponsorship,' he said, adding in his marathon running days he had never heard any serious complaint about disruption. He said if the CGF were unable or unwilling to organise a marathon, they should ask the organisers of the London Marathon, the Edinburgh Marathon or the Great Scottish Run to stage the marathon for Glasgow. 'I sent that suggestion to the CGF six weeks ago and so far, I have not even had the courtesy of an acknowledgement,' said Canavan. As the MP who formed a parliamentary group in order to cut through government red tape which was threatening to strangle the London Marathon in its early days, Canavan said he was disappointed in the lack of interest from MPs and MSPs in a Glasgow Commonwealth Games marathon. READ MORE: 'Absolutely crazy': Scottish jazz artist scores new film by Hollywood director 'When I wrote about this matter to all the Glasgow MSPs and MPs and the leader of Glasgow City Council, most of them did not even bother to reply,' he said. 'They do not seem to realise that they are missing a golden opportunity to showcase Glasgow and Scotland to a multi-million TV audience throughout the world. 'As for the people who are supposed to be organising the Commonwealth Games, I am beginning to wonder if they are capable of organising an egg and spoon race.' A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: 'The council is not part of the Games organising company and doesn't have a role in determining the sporting programme.' A Commonwealth Sport spokesperson said: 'We are inspired and excited by the innovative approach taken by organisers to deliver Glasgow 2026 in record time. While road events won't feature in 2026, we are confident they will return in future editions of the Games.'
Reuters
3 days ago
- Reuters
LA28's Wasserman says Trump-led task force shows government commitment
LOS ANGELES, Aug 8 (Reuters) - LA28 Chairman Casey Wasserman on Friday defended President Donald Trump's controversial decision to name himself head of a White House task force for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, saying it reflected the federal government's commitment to the Games. "The president naming himself the chair is unique, but I think it shows the importance of this event to the president and the federal government, which just validates their support and their commitment to delivering these Games with us," Wasserman told Reuters. Noting that then-Vice President Al Gore chaired the White House task force for the 1996 Atlanta Games, Wasserman said, "This is not a new concept... This is business as usual." Trump, a Republican, said this week he would lead the task force to deliver a "safe, seamless and historically successful" Olympics to California's largest city, a stronghold of the opposition Democratic Party. The Los Angeles Times, in an editorial on Thursday, called for the city to pull out of the Games due to Trump's involvement, citing the administration's deportation blitz in the region. Wasserman was in Washington as Trump signed the executive order on Tuesday creating the task force, which is meant to help coordinate security, transportation, visa processing and other issues related to the 2028 Games. "This administration and the whole force of the federal government has truly been consistently engaged, supportive and responsive," Wasserman said. "That's all you could ask for with what we're trying to do." He said the organizers, working with 36 federal agencies, need a unified federal effort rather than "piecemeal" engagement. Trump has not shied away from the glare of the sports spotlight during his second term. In May he created a presidential task force for soccer's 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. In February Trump became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl and last month he was on the field in New Jersey to celebrate Chelsea's win in the FIFA Club World Cup.
