Wind farms

Wind farm developments can have significant social, economic and environmental impacts on local regional communities. Previously, wind farm developments have proceeded without mandatory community consultation, unlike other significant projects.

To enable the implementation of the government’s commitment to require wind farm projects to be impact assessable, and subject to similar approval processes consistent with other land uses like mining and agriculture, regulation changes have been brought into effect on Monday 3 February 2025.

The Planning (Wind Farms) Amendment Regulation 2025 (Amendment Regulation) amends the Planning Regulation 2017 (Planning Regulation) to make all development applications for wind farms under the Planning Act 2016 subject to impact assessment, therefore requiring statutory public consultation and allowing third party appeal rights.

The amendments also give effect to version 3.2 of the State Development Assessment Provisions (SDAP).

Through local government and the local community becoming an integral part of the assessment process for wind farms, the Queensland Government is providing more opportunities to have your say on important infrastructure projects in your area.

Updates to assessment

The Amendment Regulation alters provisions under Schedule 10, Part 21, Division 2 of the Planning Regulation to make all development applications for material change of use for wind farms subject to impact assessment.

Applications will require public notification, allowing community members and other stakeholders to lodge submissions regarding the proposal, which the assessment manager must consider when making their decision. Additionally, third-party appeal rights will be available.

The Amendment Regulation retains the State Assessment and Referral Agency as the Assessment Manager for development applications for wind farms.

Impact assessment applies to any new wind farm applications or significant changes to an existing wind farm approval. However, it does not apply to minor changes to existing wind farm approvals.

State Development Assessment Provisions (SDAP)

The definition of SDAP in Schedule 24 of the Planning Regulation has been updated to give effect to the changes to version 3.2 of the SDAP. Version 3.2 reflects the changes to State Code 23: Wind Farm Development to enhance the assessment benchmarks for wind farms. Access the full schedule of amendments and other planning legislation.

Wind farm application assessments

On 16 January 2025, the Deputy Premier and Minister for Planning issued a proposed call-in notice for the Moonlight Range Wind Farm near Morinish, northwest of Rockhampton. The notice sought submissions from the proponent, community and other interested parties about whether the proposed development qualified as a state interest and should be re-assessed. The representation period was for 40 business days and closed on 14 March 2025.

The Deputy Premier also issued directions to the Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, as the Chief Executive of the Planning Act, to pause the assessment of three other wind farm applications (Bungaban wind farm, Wongalee wind farm and Theodore wind farm) to allow the proponents to demonstrate that the appropriate community consultation and impact assessment had been undertaken, in line with the Government’s election commitment. The pause was to be in effect for four months to 16 May 2025.

On 5 March 2025, the Deputy Premier issued a further direction to the Chief Executive of the Planning Act to decide one of the three paused wind farm applications within 20 business days. The applicant for the wind farm application is Bungaban Renewable Energy Farm Pty Ltd c/- Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd. In deciding to issue this direction the Deputy Premier was satisfied that extensive consultation had been undertaken with the community, relevant local governments and stakeholders, and that the applicant had provided sufficient information to allow an informed assessment by the Chief Executive as the assessment manager under the Planning Act.

On 18 March 2025, the Deputy Premier issued two proposed call-in notices for the:

• Marmadua Energy Park, located approximately 23 kilometres east of Tara and 41 kilometres south-west of Dalby.
• Middle Creek Energy Hub, located approximately 10km east of Wandoan.

The notices sought submissions from the proponent, community and other interested parties about whether the proposed developments qualify as a state interest and should be assessed by the Deputy Premier. The representation period was 40 business days and closed on 19 May 2025.

The Deputy Premier will now consider whether to call in the applications.

On 4 April 2025, the Deputy Premier issued a further direction to the Chief Executive of the Planning Act to decide one of the three paused windfarm applications within 26 business days. The applicant for the windfarm application is Wongalee Renewable Energy Farm Pty Ltd c/- Environmental Resources Management Australia Pty Ltd. In deciding to issue this direction the Deputy Premier was satisfied that extensive consultation had been undertaken with the community, relevant local governments and stakeholders, and that the applicant could provide sufficient information to allow an informed assessment by the Chief Executive as the assessment manager under the Planning Act.

The State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) has since approved the Bungaban and Wongalee wind farm applications, on 21 March 2025 and 13 May 2025, respectively, subject to conditions. With the expiry of the pause of assessment of the Theodore wind farm, this application is currently being assessed by SARA.

On 8 April 2025, the Deputy Premier issued a call-in notice for the Moonlight Range Wind Farm. 542 representations were received during the representation period, and twelve representations after the end of the representation period. After considering all representations, the Deputy Premier decided to call in the application as the application involved, or was likely to involve, economic and environmental interests of the State or part of the State, and the interest of ensuring the Planning Act’s purpose is achieved. The Deputy Premier subsequently reassessed and redecided the application, with the development assessment process for the application restarting at the start of the decision stage under chapter 1, part 5 of the Development Assessment Rules version 2.0.

On 22 May 2025, the Deputy Premier decided to refusethe Moonlight Range Wind Farm following a comprehensive reassessment of the application. See the Moonlight Range Wind Farm Pty Ltd decision notice ( 209.1 KB). The decision comes after a thorough assessment of the project’s potential community impacts, reaffirming the government’s commitment to sustainable development that aligns with the values and interests of Queensland communities.