Battery storage facilities

The Planning (Battery Storage Facilities) and Other Legislation Amendment Regulation 2025 commenced on 12 December 2025, amending the way battery storage facility developments are regulated in the planning framework.

Applying the community benefit system to battery storage facilities

Battery storage facility developments with a maximum electricity output of 50MW or more are subject to the community benefit system.

The system requires proponents to undertake a social impact assessment and enter into a community benefit agreement before making a development application.

This new approach ensures that battery storage facility developments deliver tangible benefits to local communities and manage social impacts effectively.

See more information on the community benefit system.

Updates to assessment

Accepted development

The Planning Regulation 2017 (Planning Regulation) has been amended to make small scale battery storage facility an accepted development when its:

  • a pad mounted battery storage device only and the total area of the premises covered by the facility is no more than 15m²; or
  • a pole mounted battery storage device only and the total volume of the device is no more than 2m³.

Development that meets this criteria does not require development approval.

Impact assessment

The Planning Regulation has been amended for battery storage facility developments to require an impact assessment, unless prescribed as accepted development.

This means development applications are subject to public notification and community members and other stakeholders may lodge submissions regarding the proposal, which the assessment manager must consider when making their decision. Additionally, third-party appeal rights are available.

Assessment manager

The Planning Regulation has been amended to make the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) the Assessment Manager (decision-maker) for all battery storage facility development.

SARA is also the Assessment Manager for development applications for battery storage facility development located within a Priority Development Area (PDA).

Assessment benchmarks

SARA assesses development applications against the assessment benchmarks in the relevant local planning scheme, any matters outlined in the Planning Regulation, and other relevant matters.

For a battery storage facility development in a PDA, the assessment is also carried out against the relevant development instrument under the Economic Development Act 2012.

SARA’s assessment must also be carried out against the relevant assessment benchmarks in the State Development Assessment Provisions (SDAP).

A new State code 27: Battery storage facility development has been introduced into SDAP and an associated planning guideline created. These documents contain assessment benchmarks to ensure the key impacts of the battery storage facility development are appropriately considered.

Further information and a summary of updates on the SDAP State Codes is available.

Requirements for pre-existing applications

Pre-existing applications for a material change of use of premises for a battery storage facility development that have not been decided on the commencement day of the Planning Regulation amendment will be treated as follows:

  • If the development has a maximum instantaneous electricity output of 50MW or more, the application will be taken to be not properly made. These applications are subject to the community benefit system and will need to be re-made to SARA.
  • If the development has a maximum instantaneous electricity below 50MW, the application will not be subject to the new requirements.  These applications will continue to be assessed by local government.

Questions and answers

  • The State Assessment Referral Agency (SARA), as the delegate of the Chief Executive of the Planning Act 2016 is the assessment manager for battery storage facility developments that are assessable development.

    All battery storage facility developments are impact assessable development,  unless accepted development under schedule 7, part 16 of the Planning Regulation 2017.

  • Battery storage facility developments with an output of 50MW or more are subject to the community benefit system and require a social impact assessment (SIA) and a community benefit agreement (CBA) before a development application can be made to the State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA).

    Battery storage facilities with an output of less than 50MW do not require a SIA or CBA.

  • The Development Assessment Rules (DA Rules) outline how public notification is required to be undertaken for impact assessable development.

    There are specific requirements for development requiring a social impact assessment, which includes battery storage facility development with an output of 50MW or more.   The public notification requirements include:

    • A public notice is required on a community notice board (e.g. Town Centre Library, Community Centre Notice Board, Town park Toilet Block) in each township in the affected local government areas.
    • Notice to be given to all adjoining lot owners and lots within 1500m of the property where the development is located.
    • Notice given to all local governments identified as being affected by social impacts from the development.
    • Notice given on the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning website.

    Proponents of battery storage facility development are encouraged to undertake other public notification measure, suited to the location and context of the proposal, in addition to the above requirements. For example, local radio broadcasts, sharing in online community group pages, placing advertisements in local print publications and providing information via their company or project websites.

  • No. The definition of battery storage facility introduced into the Planning Regulation 2017 on 16 December 2022 has not changed as a part of this Regulation Amendment.

  • 50MW or More: Existing development applications for battery storage facility developments that have an output of 50MW or more that have not been decided on the commencement of this Regulation Amendment are referred to as ‘pre-existing applications’ in the Planning regulation 2017.

    On commencement this Regulation Amendment on 12 December 2025, pre-existing applications are taken to be not properly made. As a result, these development applications are required to be remade to the State Assessment and referral Agency (SARA) and are subject to the community benefit system.

    The community benefit system requires a social impact assessment report and an executed community benefit agreement to be lodged with a development application for it to be properly made  .

    Less than 50MW: Current development applications for a battery storage facility less than 50MW that have not yet been decided  on commencement of the Regulation Amendment on 12 December 2025 will continue to be assessed and decided by local government, with no change to the development assessment process.

  • The State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) will be the assessment manager for all development applications for battery storage facility development in a Priority Development Area (PDA).

    Where battery storage facility development is assessable development, both the relevant State Development Assessment Provisions (SDAP) and the development instrument of the PDA under the Economic Development Act 2012 will apply.

  • The land use definitions of wind farm and solar farm in the Planning Regulation 2017 include the use of premises for ‘facilities or devices for storing and releasing energy’ where ancillary or related to the wind farm and solar farm use.

    Where a facility or device for storing and releasing energy is related to, or ancillary to, a wind farm or solar farm it will be considered as part of a development application for a wind farm or solar farm.

    The development application for a wind farm or solar farm that includes facilities or devices for storing and releasing energy is to include an assessment against the assessment benchmarks in State code 27: Battery storage facility development. Appendix 1 of the SDAP has been amended to specify that State code 27: Battery storage facility development   is a relevant assessment benchmark.

  • Yes. Facilities or devices for storing and releasing energy, sometimes referred to as battery energy storage systems, may be incorporated into, or established as a part of, other land uses or development. This could include residential, industrial, commercial, retail or mixed land use or development.

    Whether the facilities or devices for storing and releasing energy meet the definition of a battery storage facility, or are ancillary to another use, is to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

    Key features of an ancillary use in the planning framework are:

    • it must be related to the primary use
    • it must have an exclusive functional relationship to the principal use
    • the portion of the use determined to be ancillary is subordinate to the primary use both in terms of its scale and impact.

  • A development application must be made for development that meets the definition of a battery storage facility development for use of premises under the Planning Regulation 2017, where it does not meet the criteria for accepted development in Schedule 7 of the Planning Regulation 2017. The definition does not distinguish whether the development is on one site or multiple sites.

    Depending on the premises included in the development, the development application may include multiple sites.

    Where a battery storage facility development is subject to the community benefit system, the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) can consider the cumulative impacts of a development and other surrounding uses.

  • To make a change to an existing development approval for a battery storage facility, it may be necessary to make a change application to the responsible entity. If the local government was the assessment manager for the development approval subject to the change application, the responsible entity will likely be the local government.

    If the change application is for a minor change, it must meet the definition for a minor change in Schedule 2 of the Planning Act 2016. This includes determining that the change would not result in a substantially different development as identified in Schedule 1 of the Development Assessment Rules (DA Rules  ).

    If the change application is for a change that is ‘other than a minor change’, and relates to development requiring social impact assessment as defined by the Planning Act 2016 (i.e. the community benefit system), the development application must be accompanied by a social impact assessment (SIA) report and an executed community benefit agreement (CBA) to be properly made, unless the chief executive has provided a notice that a SIA and/or a CBA is not required.

For more information

If you have any questions, contact the project team renewablesplanning@dsdilgp.qld.gov.au

Last updated: 12 Dec 2025