On 2 August 2023, the Queensland Government announced a review of the Wind Farm Code (State Code 23) (Wind Farm Code) and its accompanying guidelines for wind farms in Queensland (the Review).
The Ministerial announcement is available on the Queensland Government's website.
In this article, Special Counsel Alison McKee and Solicitor Jess Beater from HopgoodGanim’s Resources and Energy team discuss the Wind Farm Code and the purpose of the Review.
What is the Wind Farm Code?
The Wind Farm Code has been established to protect individuals, communities and the environment from adverse impacts resulting from the construction, operation and decommissioning of wind farm developments. It also sets assessment benchmarks for the assessment of onshore wind farm projects in Queensland.
What is the purpose of the Review?
Deputy Premier Steven Miles outlined that:
This review is designed to strengthen those protections for communities and the environment, while creating certainty and clarity for industry with clearer benchmarks for managing environmental and construction impacts.
The Review will aim to build greater community and industry confidence in clean energy projects.
The Wind Farm Code and accompanying guidelines will be reviewed to:
- better protect areas of high ecological and biodiversity value;
- protect the Great Barrier Reef from the impact of construction;
- identify and assess viable haulage routes upfront;
- bring acoustic criteria into line with current best practice approaches;
- highlight rehabilitation requirements and expectations; and
- require proponents to investigate the impact their construction will have on local workforces and accommodation.
Next steps:
The public is invited to comment on the proposed changes until Monday, 4 September 2023.
We will continue to monitor the review process and provide updates.
For more information, please get in touch with our Resources and Energy team.