The Queensland Government says the state’s councils and their communities will be better equipped to navigate renewable energy planning reforms with the launch of a new Social Licence in Renewable Energy Toolkit.
The toolkit will help local governments to navigate the renewable energy sector by providing guidance on managing social impacts and securing long-term benefits, with tools, templates and checklists to support planning, approvals, community engagement and benefit-sharing.
Developed in consultation with the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), councils and other stakeholders, the toolkit responds to calls from councils for support to navigate Queensland’s approvals process, said Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jarrod Bleijie.
“The social licence toolkit gives councils the tools they need to navigate renewables projects, engage confidently with industry and ensure real and lasting benefits stay in their regions,” said Mr Bleijie.
LGAQ chief executive officer, Alison Smith said host communities deserved to benefit from all major projects, not simply endure them.
“Councils have long argued social licence needed to be locked in ahead of major projects arriving if the communities hosting them were to benefit from the economic boost rather than suffer from their roads being damaged, their housing being bought up for workers and for little benefit,” Ms Smith said.
“Giving councils the support they need to plan for major projects is the way forward for the benefit of their communities.”
The Deputy Premier also announced $80,000 in funding to modernise and update course materials for the Diploma of Local Government (Planning).
“Our funding towards planning education ensures tomorrow’s planners are trained with the tools and knowledge they need to make great decisions for their communities today and into the future,” he said.
“We all know planners in local government are in a critical short supply so providing funding to enable the LGAQ to restart the Diploma of Local Government, which provides a Cert 4 Planning qualification is critical to helping address challenges such as the housing crisis, to plan for opportunities such as the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and to help us deal with having the country’s highest interstate migration rate,” said Ms Smith.
For more information on the Social Licence in Renewable Energy Toolkit visit: https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/sociallicencetoolkit.
