Latest news with #Morinish
The Australian
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Australian
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie scraps $1bn Rockhampton wind farm
A $1bn wind farm project in central Queensland has officially been scrapped after Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie used ministerial powers to refuse the development application. The Moonlight Range Wind Farm, proposed by Greenleaf Renewables, was to include 88 turbines and a large battery energy storage system spanning 24 parcels of land at Morinish, about 40km west of Rockhampton. The project aimed to generate up to 450 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 260,000 homes annually. Despite receiving state planning department approval in December last year, the project was called in for reassessment by Mr Bleijie in January. The Moonlight Range Wind Farm, proposed by Greenleaf Renewables, was planned to include 88 turbines and a large battery energy storage system spanning 24 parcels of land at Morinish, about 40 kilometres west of Rockhampton. Picture: NewsWire/Nadir Kinani More than 500 submissions were received - including 142 from local residents - during a two-month public consultation period, with 88 per cent of respondents opposing the development. Key concerns included pressure the 300 expected construction workers would put on accommodation, inadequate community consultation, environmental risks, and potential bushfire hazards. Mr Bleijie said the rejection reflected a new approach requiring renewable energy projects to meet the same rigorous approval standards as major developments in other industries such as mining and agriculture. 'If communities support these projects, they will go ahead,' Mr Bleijie said. 'But 88 per cent of local residents opposed the Moonlight Range Wind Farm proceeding. 'We believe renewable energy projects should have the same community buy-in as other sectors.' A $1 billion wind farm project northwest of Rockhampton has been officially cancelled after Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie used ministerial powers to refuse the development application. Picture: Dan Peled / NewsWire The project had promised 300 jobs during construction and about 10 ongoing positions once operational, with construction slated to start in 2026. However, community opposition proved decisive. Member for Mirani Glen Kelly, who campaigned against the project, said community concerns had been listened to and considered as part of the approval process. 'The voices of regional Queenslanders who host these projects in their backyard are an important state interest and are finally being heard,' Mr Kelly said. 'These large-scale developments impact on local infrastructure, people living and working in these communities and also the natural environment. The wind farm would have connected to the nearby 275kV Powerlink transmission network to distribute clean energy. However, with the refusal now official, the project will not proceed. Under the Planning Act, the minister's call-in decision cannot be appealed. Andrew Hedgman Reporter Andrew Hedgman is a journalist for the South Burnett Times. Andrew Hedgman
News.com.au
26-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie scraps $1bn Rockhampton wind farm
A $1bn wind farm project in central Queensland has officially been scrapped after Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie used ministerial powers to refuse the development application. The Moonlight Range Wind Farm, proposed by Greenleaf Renewables, was to include 88 turbines and a large battery energy storage system spanning 24 parcels of land at Morinish, about 40km west of Rockhampton. The project aimed to generate up to 450 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 260,000 homes annually. Despite receiving state planning department approval in December last year, the project was called in for reassessment by Mr Bleijie in January. More than 500 submissions were received - including 142 from local residents - during a two-month public consultation period, with 88 per cent of respondents opposing the development. Key concerns included pressure the 300 expected construction workers would put on accommodation, inadequate community consultation, environmental risks, and potential bushfire hazards. Mr Bleijie said the rejection reflected a new approach requiring renewable energy projects to meet the same rigorous approval standards as major developments in other industries such as mining and agriculture. 'If communities support these projects, they will go ahead,' Mr Bleijie said. 'But 88 per cent of local residents opposed the Moonlight Range Wind Farm proceeding. 'We believe renewable energy projects should have the same community buy-in as other sectors.' The project had promised 300 jobs during construction and about 10 ongoing positions once operational, with construction slated to start in 2026. However, community opposition proved decisive. Member for Mirani Glen Kelly, who campaigned against the project, said community concerns had been listened to and considered as part of the approval process. 'The voices of regional Queenslanders who host these projects in their backyard are an important state interest and are finally being heard,' Mr Kelly said. 'These large-scale developments impact on local infrastructure, people living and working in these communities and also the natural environment. The wind farm would have connected to the nearby 275kV Powerlink transmission network to distribute clean energy. However, with the refusal now official, the project will not proceed. Under the Planning Act, the minister's call-in decision cannot be appealed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shock move on $1bn wind farm
A $1bn wind farm project in central Queensland has officially been scrapped after Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie used ministerial powers to refuse the development application. The Moonlight Range Wind Farm, proposed by Greenleaf Renewables, was to include 88 turbines and a large battery energy storage system spanning 24 parcels of land at Morinish, about 40km west of Rockhampton. The project aimed to generate up to 450 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 260,000 homes annually. Despite receiving state planning department approval in December last year, the project was called in for reassessment by Mr Bleijie in January. More than 500 submissions were received - including 142 from local residents - during a two-month public consultation period, with 88 per cent of respondents opposing the development. Key concerns included pressure the 300 expected construction workers would put on accommodation, inadequate community consultation, environmental risks, and potential bushfire hazards. Mr Bleijie said the rejection reflected a new approach requiring renewable energy projects to meet the same rigorous approval standards as major developments in other industries such as mining and agriculture. 'If communities support these projects, they will go ahead,' Mr Bleijie said. 'But 88 per cent of local residents opposed the Moonlight Range Wind Farm proceeding. 'We believe renewable energy projects should have the same community buy-in as other sectors.' The project had promised 300 jobs during construction and about 10 ongoing positions once operational, with construction slated to start in 2026. However, community opposition proved decisive. Member for Mirani Glen Kelly, who campaigned against the project, said community concerns had been listened to and considered as part of the approval process. 'The voices of regional Queenslanders who host these projects in their backyard are an important state interest and are finally being heard,' Mr Kelly said. 'These large-scale developments impact on local infrastructure, people living and working in these communities and also the natural environment. The wind farm would have connected to the nearby 275kV Powerlink transmission network to distribute clean energy. However, with the refusal now official, the project will not proceed. Under the Planning Act, the minister's call-in decision cannot be appealed.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Moonlight Range Wind Farm project axed by Queensland government
A $1 billion wind farm earmarked for Central Queensland has been axed by Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, using ministerial powers. The Greenleaf Renewables development was to include 88 wind turbines and a battery energy storage system over 24 parcels of land at Morinish, 40 kilometres out of Rockhampton, with a capacity of 450 megawatts to generate energy for 260,000 homes annually. The company had hoped to start building the Moonlight Range Wind Farm in 2026, with 300 jobs during construction and 10 ongoing jobs on completion. The project had been approved by the state planning department, State Assessment and Referral Agency, in December 2024. In a notice dated May 22, Mr Bleijie exercised his ministerial powers to refuse the development application. He began the process for a "call-in" to reassess the development application in January. During the two-month call-in notice period, there were 508 representations, including 142 from local residents. Eighty-eight per cent of residents were against it. The main concerns in the objections were strain on the accommodation supply from the 300 construction workers, lack of community consultation, and environmental and bushfire hazard impacts. Speaking on Monday, Mr Bleijie said if communities supported these projects, they would go ahead. "We think an equal and fair policy is just like the resource sector, the agriculture sector, the gas sector have to get certain approvals and community buy-in and community say, so should renewable energy projects." LNP Member for Mirani Glen Kelly, who has been campaigning for the project to be axed, said it was "exciting news". "The communities have to have some say on these projects," he said. "The minister's decision is final so happy days for the communities in and around Rockhampton who I know have been working hard to block this project." The notice states a person may not appeal against the minister's decision on a call-in under the Planning Act. Greenleaf Renewables has been contacted for comment.
