QREZ Roadmap Submission

We welcome the Queensland Government’s draft QREZ Roadmap and back its emphasis on the need for the Queensland Government to deliver fast, cross government, place-based renewable energy planning to ensure that deployment of renewable energy is on track to achieve targeted emission reductions.

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For timely implementation of the QREZ Roadmap it is critical that leading practice local community engagement be at the forefront of placed based planning. We welcome the progress made by the Queensland Government in the draft 2023 Queensland Renewable Energy Zone Roadmap and the broad reflection of this need including to:

• apply best practice community consultation and sharing of community benefits
• prioritise authentic engagement with First Nations people and other landowners including farmers,
• be cognisant of social acceptance and the need to roll out renewable energy infrastructure in ways that are nature positive, and
• focus on safe and secure jobs. 

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A shared understanding of the prevailing land use values, opportunities and constraints is key to ensuring that the Roadmap delivers critical infrastructure in a way that best serves the impacted communities. There is currently uncertainty and information gaps as to the key land values across the areas proposed in the Roadmap and this has the potential to result in avoidable conflict between alternate land uses and local stakeholders.

Beyond Zero Emissions is currently undertaking detailed mapping of biodiversity land use values and renewable energy infrastructure needs in Central Queensland and would welcome the opportunity to share this information with the Department of Energy and Public works once finalised. The intent with this data is to provide a regional perspective on how to best balance renewable energy, biodiversity and other land use values and communicate these conflicting values.