The previously approved Moonlight Range Wind Farm will no longer proceed as planned, following community feedback and an assessment by Queensland’s Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning.
The Queensland Government announced the decision and said the assessment considered feedback from residents and stakeholders, as well as impacts on local infrastructure, services and housing.
The project included plans for up to 88 wind turbines, a battery energy storage system and related infrastructure, covering 1269ha in total.
Following initial approval by the State Assessment and Referral Agency in December 2024, the State Government opened consultation on the project in January 2025 as part of a new pathway for regulating Queensland wind farms that aims to ensure local communities are included in the assessment process.
The State Government said more than 550 submissions were received during the public consultation process for the Moonlight Range Wind Farm, of which 85 per cent supported the project application being reviewed.
Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jarrod Bleijie, found that the proposal did not meet the requirements of the State Government’s new planning laws, which aim to ensure renewable energy projects are assessed by the same approval processes as other major resource developments.
Mr Bleijie said the Government is committed to ensuring local communities are consulted on any new wind farm developments.
Queensland Member for Mirani, Glen Kelly, said that community concerns had been listened to and considered as part of the approval process.
