Landholders have detailed how renewable energy projects are threatening their properties during a meeting with Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien and Leader of The Nationals and Maranoa MP David Littleproud.
Among the concerns raised by the group at the meeting in Kilkivan was the consequences of the construction of transmission lines designed to support the Borumba Pumped Hydro Project across prime agricultural land.
Fears of the visual impact the lines would have on the landscape, the financial implications the project would have of land values as well as the emotional toll were laid bare during the meeting.
“It is so important for Mr Littleproud and I to discuss the issues the Queensland Government’s Borumba Pumped Hydro Project and the powerlines associated with that project is posing to members of our electorates,” Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien said.
“We heard some deeply emotional feedback from this group about what these projects are doing to their lives, livelihoods as well as their futures.
“These issues are a result of a government decision based on bad economics, bad policy and no consultation with locals.
“The federal Nationals have taken a very firm stand on this and as a result will not be supporting this project.”
Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said the issues being experienced by members of the Wide Bay and Maranoa electorates were sadly not uncommon, with producers across the country facing similar challenges as a result of renewable energy projects and associated transmission lines.
“Sadly, this is a similar story to what we are hearing in places such as the Pioneer Valley near Mackay and in Central Victoria where similar projects are threating prime agricultural land and peoples’ livelihoods,” Mr Littleproud said.
“This is where renewable energy projects have lost their social licence and unless we as a nation pause and plan properly, renewable energy projects will have lost their social licence for good.
“That will mean we will lose a sensible pathway to zero emission, which is why The Nationals are calling for a common-sense solution.
“We can get this right without the human toll, but we need to use common sense and at the moment, that is unfortunately not what this government is doing, which is why The Nationals are taking a stand and saying we don’t support these kinds of projects.”
