Jobs
Q. What are the impacts of renewables investment on local jobs, materials and services?
A. Construction of wind farms can temporarily increase demand for skilled trades, particularly in regional areas. Construction provides opportunities for local employees and businesses interested in working on the project and supplying the project including agricultural suppliers, mechanics, hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores. Long term local jobs will also be created during operation, with workers based in the local area.
Q. Will small businesses lose employees to wind and solar farm jobs?
A. Clean energy projects grow local economies which create more work for small businesses and more disposable income for locals to spend in small businesses
Q. What impacts on local community availability of trades, as tradies move to jobs on wind and solar farms (for earthmoving, welders, electricians etc)?
A. Trade businesses who sometimes may have left the area are able to stay and service locals because of the work they get from the wind/solar farm/battery.
Developers aim to support local workforce development and minimise disruption to existing businesses, for example through early engagement with local training providers and councils.
Accommodation
Q. How will accommodation for workers impact on the availability of housing in local communities?
A. Renewable energy developers in Queensland are expected to assess and manage workforce accommodation needs as part of their development application and Social Impact Assessment (SIA). Where local housing supply is limited, developers typically use off-site accommodation such as temporary worker camps or motels to avoid placing pressure on rental markets. This approach helps ensure that local housing remains available for residents and does not contribute to affordability issues. Local councils and the Queensland Government review accommodation strategies as part of project approvals and this may also result in permanent legacy accommodation being available post the construction phase.
Developer direct investment
Q. How do renewables developers invest in the community?
A. A community benefit system has been introduced into Queensland’s planning framework. Developers of large-scale renewable energy projects are expected to complete a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and enter into a Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) with the local government. This system aims to ensure that projects deliver lasting social and economic benefits in the local community.
See more information in the section on Social Impact Assessments and Community Benefit Agreements.
Q. Do neighbours of renewables projects also receive benefits?
A. While near-neighbour agreements in most cases are not mandated, developers will look to offer voluntary arrangements for appropriate projects. These may include financial contributions or non-financial measures such as vegetation screening or access improvements. Host landholders can negotiate for benefits for neighbours.
Q. Can local and regional environmental projects apply for funding or benefits?
A. Yes, community benefit programs may also include targeted grants, local partnerships, and investment in conservation initiatives that align with local priorities.
Host community
Q. Do wind and solar farm vehicular activities impact on through-traffic on service roads during construction e.g. school buses, transport, emergencies?
A. Traffic and transport impacts are assessed as part of the project’s development application. Construction traffic management plans are developed to ensure continued access for school buses, emergency services, and local traffic. These plans are reviewed by local councils and relevant state agencies to ensure safety and minimise disruption.
Q. What are typical impacts on property values?
A. There is no evidence that land values decline on host properties or the surrounding area, in fact values may actually increase because of the ongoing economic benefit in the area.
In particular, several studies commissioned by the NSW and Victorian governments found no evidence that wind farms lower rural property values, including the Assessment of the Impact of Wind Farms on Surrounding Land Values in Australia (Preston Rowe Paterson, 2013) available here.
Q. Does the land used in renewables get rezoned (e.g. as industrial) and does this affect future land uses?
A. Properties hosting renewable energy projects generally maintain their current land use zoning and do not require rezoning. We know of no cases where a company is seeking rezoning. Therefore in the case of agricultural land, land would continue to be classified as Rural zoning under the local Planning Scheme, and existing land uses such as grazing or cropping can continue around the turbines or solar arrays.
A Material Change of Use (MCU), on the other hand, is required as part of the development application to local government/council, under the Planning Act 2016. A Material Change of Use to “Renewable Energy Facility” does not change the zoning of the land. Local governments use MCU applications to assess a development proposal against their planning scheme to ensure developments are compatible with current land uses and align with zoning, overlays (e.g. Flood Hazard, Environmental Significance), and community needs. In some cases, no MCU is required if the development is considered ancillary to the existing land use.
The areas on host properties where built infrastructure is located are managed under a lease agreement with the landholder. On wind farms this is typically only a very small area around the base of each wind turbine. Again, this lease agreement does not impact the zoning of the land.
Q. Will council rates change on host land?
A. Rates will not necessarily change, however any potential increase in rates associated with a change of land use are routinely covered by wind farm proponents and this should be set out in landholder agreements. Rates would only potentially change on the area of land under a lease agreement (not the whole property) which in the case of wind farms is a very small area around the base of each turbine.
Q. Why are renewables sometimes labelled the green power that isn’t green?
A. Incorrect siting of some projects has led to significant local environmental impacts. This has rightly raised concerns and questions. However, if sited and designed well, renewables can avoid significant local impacts and even provide opportunities for local environmental restoration, as incoming changes to planning laws aim for.
Co-existence with agriculture
Q. What are the impacts on livestock or farming operations?
A. Renewable energy development and farming can harmoniously co-exist with agriculture given the correct planning and layout of infrastructure.
Most wind farms are developed on agricultural land and wind turbines are very compatible with existing farming operations. Turbines occupy only a small amount of land, and landowners can continue normal grazing or cropping activities. Livestock has often been seen using turbine towers for shade and shelter from wind and rain. Cropping and irrigation can exist alongside turbines. Renewable infrastructure can be planned around current and future operations.
Remember a landholder can say no to hosting a renewable energy project – unlike gas and resource developments. There is also no obligation for landholders to meet timing deadlines to sign an initial agreement, so landholders should take the time and have open discussions with developers, neighbours, and other interested parties to determine how a proposed development may impact and benefit existing and planned operations.
Renewable energy rent gives the farmers a second, drought proof income from the land, which is why so many farmers are choosing to partner with renewable energy companies.
- See more information in the section on Co-existence with agriculture
- See also the Queensland Renewable Energy Landholder Toolkit
Power costs
Q. Can renewables help with rising power costs?
A. Large-scale renewable projects help reduce costs to the consumer because they provide cheaper power due to having near-zero fuel costs. Finite fossil fuels are volatile based on international prices and go up as supply reduces, especially during global disruptions due to conflict e.g. Ukraine war impact on gas prices. Renewables also reduce emissions and address climate change which reduces the economic and social impacts that natural disasters and weather extremes cause.
Energy storage and reliability
Q. Can renewable energy provide reliable energy around the clock?
A. Commercialised technology already exists to ensure that solar and wind energy is available around the clock; for example, battery storage and pumped hydro. In Queensland, we’re also lucky to have an excellent wind resource that tends to blow in the afternoon and evening when solar is winding down, reducing the need for storage.
Location of renewables projects
Q. Why are renewables coming to our region?
A. The Darling Downs region possesses significant solar and wind resources, established transmission line infrastructure, and extensive tracts of land previously cleared for agriculture, in sparsely populated areas. These attributes create optimal conditions for the development of large-scale renewable energy projects such as wind farms, solar farms and battery storage.
Q. Why aren’t renewables being built closer to cities where the energy is used?
A. The vast scale of projects and the logistics of connecting them to the wider grid often favour regional locations with more available land and established network access. Large amounts of new energy is required and connecting it into the grid in regional areas helps with overall grid stability and energy reliability. Furthermore, electricity travels through transmission lines close to the speed of light (~300,000 km/sec), so there is no need for it to be generated close to where it is used.
Health & Safety
Q: Does wind turbine noise and blade flicker impact health?
Nocebo effect
The very small number of people who have reported health impacts of wind turbines are potentially linked to what is called a “Nocebo Effect” – a psychosomatic effect similar to the “Placebo Effect”, but having a negative health consequence due to a belief that there will be a negative consequence. This could explain why reported symptoms differ markedly between people and why people who have chosen to host wind farms, with the knowledge that they will not have health impacts, do not feel any symptoms.
Wind turbine noise facts
Wind turbine noise is created as the turbine blades rotate and pass through the air. It is a “whooshing” or “swishing” sound. Noise levels decrease significantly with distance, they are approximately 45-55 dB at 300-500 m, 30-40dB at 1-2 kms, more than 2 kms they are no more than background noise. In Australia, regulatory standards typically require wind turbines to be located at least 1500m from residences.
A recent peer reviewed study in Poland 2025, that recruited volunteers and exposed them to recordings of wind turbines found that short term exposure had no impact on cognitive function ; that the noise was not perceived as significantly more stressful than traffic noise and 93% of participants reported that they did not find the turbine noise intrusive.
Wind turbine blade flicker facts
Wind turbine flicker or shadow flicker occurs when the rotating blades of a wind turbine cast a moving shadow, creating a flickering effect. It is typically only significant around 800m to 1400 m from the turbine. It occurs when the sun is low on the horizon, typically early morning or late afternoon. Modern wind farms can mitigate this effect by careful siting of the turbines and the turbines can be temporarily shutdown to prevent the shadow impacts when the sun is low on the horizon.
Further reading
- Comprehensive study settles the debate about the impact of wind turbine noise on humans
- Coopers Gap Wind Farm Environmental Impact Statement: Chapter 6 – Shadow Flicker
- The Link between Health Complaints and Wind Turbines: Support for the Nocebo Expectations Hypothesis
- No more stressful than road traffic noise: New study adds to debunking of “wind turbine syndrome”
Q: Do wind turbines pose a bushfire risk?
Concern has been expressed about the possibility of wind turbines posing an increased bushfire risk, either through a technical malfunction or via a lightning strike. The data to date shows that the wind farms do not significantly increase the risk of bushfire.
- In the rare and unlikely event of a technical fault causing a fire in a turbine, continual remote monitoring of turbines is designed to quickly identify any problems and stop operations. Automated fire suppression systems are fitted into most modern wind turbines.
- In 2023 a wind turbine overheated and caught fire at Cullerin Range Wind Farm in NSW possibly due to a technical fault. The Rural Fire Service were immediately notified and the incident contained. The area at the base of all turbines is cleared which significantly helps stop a fire spreading.
- The network of roads associated with wind farms allows ready access for fire fighting vehicles should a problem arise. In fact, the CFA believes the network of roads on a wind farm actually creates more fire breaks and helps crews stop fires from becoming larger bushfires.
- Wind turbines can attract lightning during thunderstorms given their height and usually isolated location in open areas, however, evidence from Australia shows such incidents are rare. Moreover, turbines are generally not expected to start fires as they have built-in protection mechanisms to minimise any problems resulting from strikes. In contrast, it is possible that wind turbines may actually reduce the risk of bushfires caused by lightning, particularly if turbines are located on a ridge.
- Technology continues to improve and companies such as EDL and Vestas are continuing to explore additional fire prevention and containment technologies, lowering the risks of wind turbines contributing to fire risk even further.
- The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council’s Wind Farms and Bushfire Operations document says “wind farms are not expected to adversely affect fire behaviour, nor create major ignitions risks”. Read the full document here.
- The Australian Firefighters Climate Alliance state: “Renewable power facilities do not pose a significant threat of increased fire risk. The AFCA is concerned that misinformation about renewables is rife and has developed this short paper to outline our perspective.” Their document addresses many other FAQs about renewables and fire risk and also provide data and further references:
In the event of a bushfire in the region (unassociated with wind turbines), aerial firefighting operations around wind farms may be modified, but have been shown to still be effective.
The Clean Energy Council also states “if conditions are clear and wind turbines are turned off, wind turbines are clearly visible from aircraft and are not likely to constrain aerial firefighting operations”.
It is important to understand that wind farms have comprehensive incident and emergency management plans, including bushfire management plans. These plans detail both prevention and management procedures such as turbine shutdown protocols, access roads and plans, containment systems, fuel modified buffer systems and communication protocols. These plans and associated actions will help with bushfire management both within a wind farm and in the vicinity of a wind farm.
- For example, the bushfire at the Waterloo wind farm in 2017 (not associated with the actual wind turbines) demonstrated that firefighting operations can be successfully carried out within a wind farm. Wind turbine blades were rotated to 88 degrees, assisting aircraft to pass through the turbines to undertake water bombing. Furthermore, the roads acted as further effective fire breaks. Read the story here.
- Transmission line infrastructure, meteorological towers and guy-ropes can potentially be difficult to see in bushfire conditions (Clean Energy Council 2017); however, this is no different to existing electrical transmission lines and other infrastructure unassociated with wind farms. Wind farm infrastructure poses no greater risk to aerial firefighting than any other infrastructure and they are no different to work around than many other hazards in the environment. Infrastructure typically over 150m tall is already “charted” and flagged within navigation systems. Firefighting organisations are adept at adapting to individual fire circumstances.
- The Clean Energy Council also states “if conditions are clear and wind turbines are turned off, wind turbines are clearly visible from aircraft and are not likely to constrain aerial firefighting operations”.
It is important to understand that wind farms have comprehensive incident and emergency management plans, including bushfire management plans. These plans detail both prevention and management procedures such as turbine shutdown protocols, access roads and plans, containment systems, fuel modified buffer systems and communication protocols. These plans and associated actions will help with bushfire management both within a wind farm and in the vicinity of a wind farm.