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The footprint of renewables on the map is almost identical to the 4560 square kilometres of land that is used for mining.
Rural NSW MP Michael McCormack last week told this masthead that fervent opposition among some in his electorate to “wind and solar factories” made it inevitable there would be a backlash against farmers who accepted payments to host development.
However, the Farmers for Climate Action group said farmland was not being destroyed, arguing that wind and solar projects proponents typically enter into lucrative rental agreements with farmers who own the land. Those with wind farms now typically earn around $40,000 a year per turbine.
“Farmers grazing sheep under solar farms at Dubbo and Wellington are reporting better wool quality from the solar sheep than from sheep feeding in traditional paddocks. Those farmers think the grass quality is better under the panels because the grass receives more vital shade,” said Farmers for Climate Action chief executive Natalie Collard.
The Albanese government failed to deliver on its 2022 election pledge to strengthen environment laws. It revived this commitment in the May election and Environment Minister Murray Watt has said he would bring reforms to parliament by the end of this year – with the final two sitting weeks scheduled for November.
Watt has said he aims to deliver extra protections for nature, while also speeding the approvals process that developers say has been a drag on the renewables rollout. However, it is unclear if the Greens or the Opposition would support the reforms.
Rainforest Reserves Australia vice president Steve Nowakowski compiled the renewables map because he was frustrated by the lack of attention large conservation groups had given to impacts of the renewables rollout – particularly in Queensland where he said hilltop wind farms are a threat to remnant forest.
Nowakowski, a lifelong conservationist who said he had been arrested multiple times for protesting logging, said his map should serve as a warning to state and federal government to assess the overall impact of the renewables rollout.
“If we need to build all this infrastructure, can we just cherry-pick the best projects that have the least impact on culturally significant areas, high-value agriculture, high biodiverse areas?” Nowakowski said.
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“We’ve got the opportunity to knock back the really bad ones.”
Conservation groups have warned about potential habitat destruction by renewables projects but acknowledged the need to cut emissions from coal power by rapidly expanding wind and solar energy.
Peak renewables lobby the Clean Energy Council said the Rainforest Reserves map contained multiple errors and urged community members seeking information on local projects to check the websites of project proponents instead.
“This map cites projects that have been withdrawn or don’t exist [and] exaggerates the size of projects,” said chief policy officer William Churchill.
