‘Qld doesn’t want their business’: Watt slams state’s key policy

Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt will lash Queensland’s Liberal National government’s pull-back from renewable projects in a speech on Tuesday, accusing the state of adopting a short-sighted energy policy that would drive away investment and squander jobs.

The senior Albanese government minister’s comments will come after the state cancelled a string of renewable projects, overhauled its energy plan to commit to burning coal for longer and just last week scrapped a wind farm that proposed to power half-a-million homes.

Since coming into office, the Crisafulli government introduced new laws for mandatory public consultation for large-scale solar and wind farms aimed at empowering regional communities to voice concerns against renewable energy projects.

The state has leaned on this new legislation, largely through Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, to can proposed projects and solidify conservative support in regional areas.

It also comes after the Liberal National state convention last month passed a resolution to abandon the net zero by 2050 policy, though the Coalition party room has not agreed to adopt this position.

In the speech to the Smart Energy Queensland conference in Brisbane on Tuesday, seen by this masthead, Watt will blast regional conservative leaders for squandering job growth opportunities in their own electorates, including Central Queensland-based senator Matt Canavan.

“There are tens of thousands of jobs waiting to be snapped up as part of the transition,” Watt will say.

“And most of them are in regional areas, including right here in Queensland. Which is why it’s so baffling when politicians who claim to represent the regions are the loudest in seeking to block these opportunities.”

The minister will say the Queensland government’s rejection of renewable energy was aimed at appeasing local opponents, such as conservative MPs, and “ignoring the local supporters”.

His speech will feature the anecdote of fifth-generation cattle farmer Tracey Richards, who has been critical of the Crisafulli government after her income from hosting turbines was spoiled by the shelving of the Moonlight Range Wind Farm project near Rockhampton.

She has argued her family property would have benefited from the steady income as it grapples the volatility of the cattle industry.

“The project was cancelled by the Queensland government, despite there being no other homes near it, and the project having the strong support of most of her neighbours,” Watt will say to the conference.

“Little wonder Tracey said her family feels like ‘collateral damage of politics over project merit’.

“Short-sighted decisions like this only make it harder for the Queensland government to reduce power bills or achieve their own emission reduction targets.

“And all the while, sending a message to investors that Queensland doesn’t want their business.”

Premier David Crisafulli has said he would stick to the previous Labor government’s net zero emissions by 2050 target but would repeal its renewable energy target.

The LNP government has also said it would run its network of state-owned coal-powered plants beyond the 2035 date the former Labor government committed to ending Queensland’s reliance on coal.

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