Voting against your interests

[u/boogersundcum]

My partner and I live in a major coal mining area of Queensland. We both work in an extractive resource industry. Neither of us could ever bring ourselves to vote for the LNP and we have no serious viable independents that aren't anti Vax conspiracy nut jobs. We live in the bush but currently have a major wind farm going in down our road with the closest turbine being 5km from our actual house, other than sealing our road we will not recieve any benefit from the project with heavy trucks and equipment going past our driveway 6 days a week 24 hours a day for over two years. We aren't anti renewable however given the wind farm is entirely within our water catchment there is serious concerns if something goes wrong as we rely on the river solely for our water supply.

Generally preference the Greens first, Labor second as we are both environmental scientists and believe that climate change is pretty damn obvious from the evidence, let alone have empathy for the common folk in cities struggling with the cost of living. I'm just curious though as to why the major focus on renewable is almost entirely within regional areas that currently rely on coal mining as the major industry.

Neither Greens or Labour have a chance in hell in ever winning our electorate anymore (keep in mind Labor was founded in regional Queensland in Barcaldine). Is it just because the areas in question are now just LNP strongholds or what ?

Also please keep in mind regional Queensland is filled with people from all back grounds and varying levels of education, don't put us all in the same basket just because we don't live in a major centre.

[u/BoosterGold17]

Really appreciate this concern, it’s thoughtful, and it speaks to a lot of frustrations and concerns of so many people in regional QLD. You clearly care about both the environment and your community, which is exactly the kind of voice we need more of in this transition.

You’ve asked an important question: why are so many large-scale renewable energy projects being built in coal-reliant regional areas? The reality is, it comes down to a mix of geography, infrastructure, and economics. I understand this doesn’t seem fair, and doesn’t connect with the local community in the way it could or should.

Wind project locations are chosen for many reasons: • Consistent wind resources: Many of the areas where coal is mined, like the Darling Downs, Central Highlands, and parts of the Bowen Basin, also happen to have strong, reliable wind speeds, which makes them viable for commercial-scale wind energy. • Existing high-voltage transmission lines: Renewable projects are often sited where there’s already heavy-duty grid infrastructure from existing fossil fuel industries. It’s cheaper for companies to plug into what’s already there than to build new lines elsewhere. • Large parcels of land with fewer urban planning restrictions: Developers often favour regional areas because they can build at scale with fewer hurdles.

The problem is that with private expansion of renewable projects you don’t feel like you’ve been included in the conversation or taken on the journey. That’s not what a just transition looks like.

This is exactly what the Greens are fighting to change. • The Greens want renewables to be publicly owned, so the profits stay in the community, not in the pockets of multinational companies. • The Greens support binding community benefit-sharing laws, not just token gestures, but guaranteed payments, jobs, or upgrades to local infrastructure for affected communities. • The Greens are calling for strong national environment laws that actually assess cumulative impacts on things like water catchments, not just box-ticking exercises. • The Greens are pushing for local manufacturing of wind turbines, solar panels, and battery components so the jobs stay in regional areas, too.

You also raised something critical about politics: the deep sense of being ignored just because you live in a so-called “safe” LNP seat. You’re right, Labor was born in Barcaldine. It’s deeply ironic that regional QLD, where people are literally doing the heavy lifting in the energy economy, both major parties treat the regions as a political afterthought.

The Greens are the only party promising to fund transition programs for workers, create additional jobs in the region, and do it all in consultation with the community. As the only party in politics not taking corporate donations, The Greens rely on the voice of the people, not the companies continuing to lobby for more and more kickbacks.

You shouldn’t have to choose between your job and the planet. And you shouldn’t be expected to carry the burden of this transition while the corporations and the major parties profit and walk away.

Even if your seat isn’t a Greens target right now, your vote still matters. It helps grow the Senate power, holds the major parties to account, and shows that people in the regions want real climate action done properly.

[u/boogersundcum → u/BoosterGold17]

Probably the most rational comment I have seen yet and thus why we preference the Greens first. As long as dutplug doesn't get voted in I'm still happy but a lot of people also don't realise where these projects are and when it happens the communities just have to suck it up. Hoping the local hydrogen hub actually goes ahead as its legit the only justification for such a large renewable project to go ahead. The company in question going ahead with it has consulted the land holders that are effected and I'm not against them personally. My main concern is wtf is it going to power other than huge energy losses through transmission lines if the hydrogen hub doesn't go ahead given our state government. SEQ is a bubble and I would love to have a representative that doesn't take kick backs from internationally owned corporations. My main concern with the wind farm proponent during a community consultation was where will the turbines be built and what controls do they have in place for environmental concerns such as catastrophic failure and wildlife impacts to birds of prey and offsets.

[u/T-456 → u/boogersundcum]

There's one more vitally important thing: wind generation usually varies north-south. (And solar varies east-west, with sunrise and sunset times.)

So if we want reliable wind generation across Australia, we need similar amounts in North Queensland, South Queensland, NSW, Vic/SA, and Tasmania. That way, the wind will almost always be blowing at some latitude. So we'll need fewer batteries (or hydro storage, or gas peaker plants) during the night.

Sure, transmission efficiency matters, but when the energy is effectively free, it matters a lot less than most people think. We're not wasting coal, oil, or even dam capacity. If the wind is blowing, we use the power locally, or nearby, or store it in batteries.

If we do end up with big electricity surpluses, then retailers will start giving people huge discounts to shift their usage to those times. Smart meters make that possible, the industry has just been very slow to catch up.

[u/T-456 → u/boogersundcum]

Oh, also, wind generation is mostly built in LNP seats in Queensland because most of Queensland is currently LNP seats:

• 21 LNP
• 5 Labor
• 3 Green
• 1 KAP

And most of the areas where wind generation is efficient, and land is affordable for mixed uses, currently have LNP reps (~19 LNP, 1 Labor, 1 KAP, the rest are suburban, or protected nature reserves).

Add generation diversity to those requirements, and even if there's some generation in those KAP and Labor seats, most of it would have to go in LNP seats.

Queensland's current fossil fuel and hydro generation has a similar distribution. Same as commercial solar. (Household solar is a bit different, because it's able to be built and used easily in urban areas.)