Two towers: a comparison of the regulatory regimes which affect new electricity transmission lines and wind farms in Queensland

Two towers: a comparison of the regulatory regimes which affect new electricity transmission lines and wind farms in Queensland

Wind farms represent a clean and sustainable method of generation of electricity, while high voltage overhead power transmission towers and lines represent the old fashioned approach to transmission of energy. Both share a common characteristic which is their visual impact on the environment. This article looks at two recent developments on the Darling Downs in South East Queensland, one a 75 turbine windfarm, the other a 90 km 330 kilovolt transmission line. The article looks at the regulatory framework which governs both developments in the local and Commonwealth jurisdictions. It draws more general conclusions about the ability of those affected by those developments to gain a merits review of their objections as well as the unequal regulatory playing field which favours the traditional method of electricity transmission as compared to the greener method of electricity generation.

This article was first published by Thomson Reuters in the Environmental and Planning Law Journal and should be cited as Mark Tranter, Two towers: a comparison of the regulatory regimes which affect new electricity transmission lines and wind farms in Queensland, (2006) 23 EPLJ 351. For all subscription inquiries please phone, from Australia: 1300 304 195, from Overseas: +61 2 8587 7980 or online at https://www.thomsonreuters.com.au/en-au/contact.html. The official PDF version of this article can also be purchased separately from Thomson Reuters at http://sites.thomsonreuters.com.au/journals/subscribe-or-purchase.