The Queensland Government has changed tack regarding its climate policy since the Coalition came into power in October 2024.
This saw the introduction of a new energy roadmap that abandoned the former Labor Government’s move to close coal-fired power plants by 2035 on the basis that the state’s coal fleet was the “youngest in the country”.
The state also sees the continuation of the fleet as an “economic solution” that will place downward pressure on prices “for households, businesses, and industry”.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli provided further argument on the state’s energy policy this week during an address to the National Press Club. In doing so, he played devil’s advocate.
“There’s one side (of government) which is really pushing hard about, ‘You’ve got to close coal-fired power stations immediately’, which would be a recipe for disaster,” he said.
“We would have industries in Queensland that would be thrown to the wolves immediately. You’d have a spike in people’s bills that the everyday person would not be able to afford to be able to live.
“We looked at it and we believed that with an investment in those assets, we can keep those coal-fired power stations running longer than what had been slated, and I think that makes sense.”
Queensland’s energy roadmap also includes a tender for 400MW of new gas-fired generation in central Queensland. This is already playing out with three energy companies recently appointed tenderers in the Bowen Basin’s Taroom Trough.
Crisafulli said the state’s “abundance of gas” hadn’t been utilised, while also acknowledging Queensland had a “golden opportunity” to capitalise on its solar and wind resources.
“We’re not running at it at 100 miles an hour,” Crisafulli said. “We’re not turning things off tomorrow to make a political point. We’re just going on a journey.”
It comes after the Queensland Government introduced a raft of legislative changes relating to renewable energy projects last year, with the Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 for wind and solar projects and the Planning (Battery Storage Facilities) and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2025 for batteries introducing new green tape.
“The Crisafulli Government’s changes make sure BESS projects are assessed consistently and transparently, removing delays and providing certainty for industry and communities,” Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie said at when the battery legislation was announced.
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