Latest news with #Rockhampton
ABC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Real estate agent sorry for competition offering free rent for five-star reviews
A Queensland real estate agency has backtracked on a promotional giveaway for its tenants, offering the chance to win free rent in exchange for a five-star review. Ray White Rockhampton emailed its tenants on Wednesday at about 3:40pm, offering opportunity to one of three free-rent prizes. A second email was sent at 4:45pm with an amended offer, in which tenants only had to leave a Google review. However, it encouraged people to leave a five-star review "if you think we deserve it". Less than an hour later, a third email was sent. "We recently launched a competition offering tenants the chance to win one week's free rent in exchange for leaving a Google review. After reviewing the promotion further and seeking advice, we've realised that this could unintentionally breach Google's review policies and potentially raise compliance concerns," the email read. "To ensure we remain fully transparent and compliant with all guidelines, we've made the decision to cancel the competition effective immediately. "We sincerely apologise for any confusion or inconvenience this may cause. Our intention was to celebrate and reward our tenant community, but we acknowledge that this approach may not have been appropriate. "If you've gone out of your way to submit a review, we thank you for your support, and we will be in touch." More than 60 people left five-star Google reviews after the email was sent. However, there were also several reviews calling out the promotion as "dodgy", "suspicious and disgusting" and "appalling". The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) was alerted to the promotion. The ACCC warns against offering incentives for positive reviews, as it risks misleading consumers and breaching consumer laws. The commission says incentives to provide reviews must be applied regardless of whether the reviewer leaves a positive or negative review, and the review must reflect it was incentivised. The promotion appears to have breached Google's Deceptive Content and Behaviour policy, which states it does not allow merchants to "offer incentives — such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services — in exchange for posting any review or revision or removal of a negative review". Those who posted a five-star review may also have inadvertently breached the same policy by providing "fake engagement". Ray White Rockhampton director Riley Neaton acknowledged the business made "an error of judgement" and said it had asked Google to remove all the reviews received as part of the promotion. "We have apologised profusely to our tenants for this error in judgement," he said. "We promise it will never happen again. "The average Google rating for Ray White Rockhampton is 4.8 based on 764 reviews [from before the promotion], indicating generally positive feedback."
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
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Fears Queensland is ‘closed for clean business' as LNP cancels billion-dollar windfarm despite conditional approval
The Liberal National party's axing of a conditionally approved windfarm that could have powered hundreds of thousands of homes risks undermining confidence in the renewable energy sector in Queensland, green and industry groups have warned. Planned for a site 40km north-west of Rockhampton, Greenleaf Renewables' $1bn Moonlight Range Wind Farm Project would have been able to power about 260,000 homes, using 88 260-metre turbines. It also included a grid-scale battery. The project was granted conditional approval by Queensland's State Assessment and Referral Agency in December last year. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email But in January the planning minister, Jarrod Bleijie, called the 450-megawatt project in for reassessment, and then denied it approval last week. The unprecedented decision by Bleijie – who is also the deputy premier – left many warning it would adversely affect the state's clean energy sector. 'Effectively, they're sending the signal that Queensland is closed for clean business,' the Queensland Conservation Council's senior campaigner, Stephanie Gray, said. The Queensland Renewable Energy Council warned that the decision risks undermining confidence among developers, investors, and suppliers across all infrastructure sectors, not just renewable energy. Its CEO, Katie-Anne Mulder, called on the state government to 'clarify how this decision does not set a precedent for other projects that have received state government approvals'. The Labor leader, Steven Miles, accused the premier, David Crisafulli, of having an 'ideological hatred of renewables'. 'They do not like renewables, and that's why they are cancelling these projects. But ultimately, every Queenslander will pay a price through higher power bills,' he said. Bleijie said a local council and about 88% of local residents who made submissions through the planning process opposed the Moonlight Range windfarm. Bleijie said he cancelled the project out of concern about planned clearing of native vegetation and a lack of off-site workers' accommodation. The windfarm would have required clearing about 434 hectares (1,072 acres) of regulated vegetation in an area that has been 'heavily impacted by historical land clearing, primarily for cattle grazing', according to its environmental impact statement. Greenleaf Renewables has been contacted for comment. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Gray called on the state government to expedite planning for the state's renewable energy zones, to restore certainty. 'We want renewable energy projects to drive a balance in our energy mix,' Crisafulli said on Monday. 'They have to treat communities with respect and decency, and they have to be there for the long term in supporting those communities.' The LNP member for Mirani, Glen Kelly, said the voices of regional Queenslanders 'who host these projects in their back yard' were 'finally being heard'. 'Under Labor, local residents affected by these projects had no say, and concerns around the impacts on their communities were ignored,' he said. Earlier this month, Bleijie sponsored legislation which would make it more difficult for renewables proponents to win environmental approval. The LNP claims the legislation will establish a level playing field between green project and mining proposals. The government also plans to extend the life of Queensland's coal fleet 'indefinitely', according to the premier, and review the state's emissions reduction target. The LNP has also signalled a much more lenient attitude towards resource projects. The resources minister, Dale Last, told parliament earlier this year: 'I have been saying to the gas companies in this state: 'I'll sign. You drill.'' The windfarm's cancellation comes weeks after the government announced a plan to cut funding for the Queensland Environmental Defenders Office from $500,000 to zero, breaking an election promise.
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.
