How 125 complaints were enough to cancel a $1bn wind farm that could’ve powered 266,000 homes

💸 A billion-dollar plan, blown away

The project, developed by Greenleaf Renewables, was set to be built 40km northwest of Rockhampton in central Queensland. Approved in December, it was expected to:

• Create 300 construction jobs and 10 permanent ones
  

• Power 266,000 homes annually — more than twice the number of homes in Central Queensland according to census data.
  

• Support the shift to clean energy in one of the most disaster-prone states in the country
  

But in January, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie triggered a process that gave him the power to cancel the project — which he did on May 22.

🗣️ QLD government says it’s all about community feedback

Deputy Premier Bleijie pointed to community submissions as a reason for cancelling the project.

Of the 500+ submissions received, only 142 came from local residents. The government says 88% of those (about 125) were against the wind farm.

The official reasoning?

• Housing stress: Concerns about a short-term influx of construction workers
  

• Fly-in fly-out workers: Fear that locals wouldn’t benefit from the jobs

Rockhampton has a rental vacancy rate of 0.76% -  but the argument implies that some of the 17% of Central Queensland’s population that are trades people won’t be getting these jobs.

• Lack of consultation: Some locals said they weren’t properly informed. 

Although it seems like Greenleaf supported the local show, school and were running a grants program – which is more than some politicians will do in an election campaign  – those are mostly community benefits

• Environmental concerns: Clearing native vegetation was a major sticking point, but….
  

🌱 Environmentalists aren’t celebrating either

While environmental impacts were cited as a reason for cancellation, the Queensland Conservation Council says the decision is actually a blow to the clean energy transition.

Instead of fixing concerns through better planning or biodiversity protections, they argue the government simply shut the whole thing down — despite the project already clearing regulatory hurdles.

Queensland Conservation Council Senior Campaigner Stephanie Gray said the

“Queensland Government is sending a lot of mixed signals to the clean energy sector by revoking this approval, slowing work on Renewable Energy Zones and considering keeping our ageing coal power stations operating past the end of their technical lives. Effectively, they’re sending the signal that Queensland is closed for clean business.”

💥 Critics say the cancellation is politically motivated

Queensland’s Opposition Leader Steven Miles didn’t mince words:

“The excuses they used were just not true. The fact is, they’re opposed to renewable energy projects to satisfy the right wing of the LNP and that’s all that is going on here.”

It’s a bold claim, but it matches with Queensland’s recent track record: the state has been doubling down on coal — even as its aging stations become more unreliable — while making it harder to build renewables.

🧭 A solution: renewable energy zones

The Conservation Council is calling for Queensland to follow in the footsteps of New South Wales and Victoria, which have Renewable Energy Zones — areas where community consultation is already done and clean energy projects are encouraged.

“We want to see the Crisafulli Government commit to closing unreliable coal stations on time and responsibly plan the energy transformation via Renewable Energy Zones.”

The pitch is simple: don’t let a handful of complaints derail billion-dollar renewable projects. Plan properly, consult communities early, and provide clarity for developers.

🏉 A State of Origin showdown — in energy policy

In the lead-up to State of Origin, it’s not just footy where Queensland needs to catch up. NSW and Victoria have already set up their clean energy zones. Queensland? Still playing political football with its energy future.

And as the climate crisis worsens, that’s a game we can’t afford to lose.

Enjoy your political football.