The Queensland Government has released a draft 2023 Queensland Renewable Energy Zone Roadmap, identifying 12 potential locations to support the development of 22GW of renewable energy generation.
The 12 potential locations are across the Southern, Central, North and Far North Queensland regions. The State Government has worked with Powerlink Queensland, as the proposed Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) delivery body, to identify the indicative locations to be developed in phases to 2035.
The draft Roadmap outlines the pathway for connecting 22GW of new wind and solar generation – eight times more renewable energy than Queensland has as of the draft’s release. This REZ development represents a steady pipeline of ongoing construction jobs and other community benefits over the coming years.
Queensland’s REZs help to coordinate development of clean energy infrastructure in areas of high renewable potential, maximising benefits for regional communities.
The Queensland Government aims to create a framework for developing REZs that works with landholders, communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, industry and regional stakeholders across all stages of REZ development.
The draft Roadmap has been developed in line with the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan to meet the state’s renewable energy targets of 50 per cent by 2030, 70 per cent by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035.
The Queensland Government said as new opportunities emerge over time, and in line with changing market conditions, additional REZs may be identified in the future.
Community consultation opens
The Roadmap has been released in draft to give Queenslanders an opportunity to have their say on how REZs are developed.
Feedback on the draft Roadmap will guide the development of REZs across the regions, including ways to:
- Assess impacts and opportunities
- REZ Readiness Assessments are proposed to carefully assess community needs to ensure they can seize opportunities from renewable energy development and manage impacts
- Empowering communities to shape outcomes
- Regional Energy Reference Groups are proposed to help identify initiatives that should be supported through community investment schemes and to provide input into REZ Readiness Assessments and ongoing REZ development
- Invest in priorities
- There is an opportunity through REZ development to expand community investment and target larger investments by pooling funds that will leave a positive legacy in communities. The Roadmap is seeking views on this opportunity and how communities can best have their say
