Landholder representative group Property Rights Australia (PRA) is calling for a Federal Senate inquiry regarding the impacts on rural and regional Australia from renewable energy developments and associated transmission projects.
“Renewable energy developments are having significant negative impacts on rural and regional communities and environments across Australia,” Interim Chair of Property Rights Australia (PRA) Jim Willmott said.
In a statement calling for a senate inquiry, PRA has raised the following concerns:
• Deficiencies within current governance arrangements regulating the development and planning of renewable energy developments;
• Limited legislative and approval mechanisms compared to the regulatory burden placed on other industries like agriculture, mining, and commercial tourism ventures;
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• Lack of governance arrangements are producing “perverse social, economic, and environmental impacts throughout rural and regional communities unlucky enough to be within renewable energy zones”;
• Outside of each defined project area there are no triple bottom line assessment for renewable energy developments and their transmission connections across each region.
• Foreign renewable energy companies have “an open ticket from Government” to develop industrial wind and solar complexes with little or no regard to community and environmental values.
“There are many concerns and issues that need scrutiny through the mechanisms provided by a Federal Senate inquiry,” Mr Willmott said.
“Ultimately, greater oversight is needed with a view to tightening the regulatory and planning approvals for renewable energy developments and associated transmission connection infrastructure.”
“Rural Australians are being asked to wear the impacts of renewable energy project developments but who is really benefiting financially because it’s not a win for the environment or regional communities that have to host these projects.
“The Government’s message of more jobs and community facilities is nothing more than a marketing strategy designed to convince urban populations of the benefits of renewable energy projects whilst delivering the opposite.”
Source: Property Rights Australia