Helping farmers capitalise on the renewable energy boom

Queensland farmers and landholders will soon have a handy online toolkit to help them cash in on the renewable energy revolution, through a new partnership with the Queensland Farmers Federation and the Palaszczuk Government.

Energy Minister Mick de Brenni said there were many opportunities for landowners to benefit from new and reliable income from Queensland’s energy transformation.

“There’s a major shift happening right now across regional Queensland and a growing number of landholders are researching their options to lease part of their properties and co-exist with renewable energy ventures, especially solar and wind farms,” he said.

“The opportunities are here and now and they will keep evolving through the pipeline of investment outlined in the Palaszczuk Government’s $62 billion Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

“For many landholders, this presents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to future-proof their family businesses which have traditionally been susceptible to weather and fluctuating produce prices.

Mr de Brenni said sheep and cattle graziers, horticulturalists and viticulturalists as well as farmers across the cropping and beekeeping sectors had the opportunity to reap the rewards of the clean energy boom.

“This toolkit, being developed in partnership with the QFF, will highlight the opportunities the energy transformation presents and identify key considerations to help guide rural producers in maximising the benefits of them,” he said.

“The Palaszczuk Government’s plan for 70 per cent renewable energy by 2032, will see huge opportunities for local communities, local businesses and local jobs.

“In fact, 95 per cent of investment from the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan will be in our regions.”

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for rural Communities Mark Furner said the Palaszczuk Government recognised the importance of working with Queensland farmers for a prosperous clean energy future.

“We are already working with both the QFF and AgForce to develop an Agriculture Low Emissions Roadmap and support good jobs for many years to come, and this toolkit will ensure our farmers can take advantage of the rapid expansion of renewable energy production,” Mr Furner said.

“Global markets are increasingly demanding higher sustainability benchmarks from our exporters, and the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan is another way Queensland produce and other exports can meet and exceed those expectations.”

QFF CEO Jo Sheppard said QFF was pleased to partner with the Queensland Government to develop the toolkit.

“With 50 large-scale renewable energy projects operating or financially committed across Queensland since 2015, more and more farmers are finding themselves in the situation of being approached as a host landholder or neighbouring landholder for one of these developments,” Ms Sheppard said.

“Co-existence with these types of developments can provide tremendous opportunities for landholders,” she said.

“This toolkit will provide practical information to help farmers understand how to navigate negotiations and also share learnings from those Queensland farmers who have already been through the process.

“It will be an easy-to-understand guide of essential information to support them in their decision-making processes.”

Mr de Brenni said the toolkit would be build on previous partnerships with QFF.

“This builds on the learnings from previous programs to help Queensland farmers make the shift to clean and efficient power,” he said.

“A great example of the government partnering with the QFF was the Energy Savers Program Plus Extension Program, which helped farmers be more energy efficient and achieve productivity improvements.

“The ESPPE helped farmers be more efficient with their energy use and achieve productivity improvements and it’s still being used as a handy reference tool today.

“The program identified potential savings of over $3 million for the farmer involved in the pilot, and the reference tool is still used today.”

The toolkit will be developed in partnership with QFF over the next few months and delivered in early 2023.

The toolkit will include:

• Overview of what a renewable energy project may include and the goals/objectives of the different renewable energy projects.
• Understanding the potential benefits and impacts of projects.
• What to expect if approached by a developer.
• How to negotiate an agreement, including considerations such as project impacts on future production, land value and other considerations.
• Information to support an understanding of the relevant and applicable legislation.
• Where to go for more advice – financial, legal and regulatory/planning.

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