Banana Shire Council and Coexistence Queensland partnered to gather over 100 regional leaders in Biloela today to discuss how traditional and emerging industries can sustainably coexist with communities and landholders.  

The Community Leaders Council event brought together landholders and leaders from agriculture, business, community, Traditional Owner groups, mining, resources, renewable energy, the environment, and government.

The event’s theme, ‘Shared Landscapes – Coexistence challenges and opportunities in the energy transition’, challenged attendees to collectively identify and harness benefits as well as addressing emerging issues.

Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Resources and Critical Ministers and Member for Callide Bryson Head said the region has a legacy of shared landscapes.

“Our region is home to significant agricultural investments that operate side-by-side with our world-class resource and energy industries,” Mr Head said.

“Queensland has a proud track record for developing our coal and gas fields while protecting farming land and the environment, and there is no reason this can’t be applied more broadly.

“And that’s why today’s conversations here are so important, because investment in this region, no matter what industry, must occur with community in mind.

“The Crisafulli Government will always give a voice to local communities. One of our first acts in Government was to make local community consultation rights permanent for wind farm developments, as part of our commitment to openness and transparency.”

Banana Shire Council Mayor Cr Nev Ferrier said the meeting was a valuable step forward for regional collaboration.

“This meeting shows what can happen when we all come together—industry, government, and community—to have real conversations,” Cr Ferrier said.

“It’s about finding opportunities, working together to find solutions, and build a stronger, more diverse economy for the future of our region.”

Coexistence Queensland CEO Warwick Squire said it was fantastic to see such a diverse group of stakeholders working together and it demonstrated how incredibly important and powerful it can be to bring everyone together in the same room.

“Queensland’s energy transition presents coexistence opportunities and challenges for rural landholders, regional communities, and the renewable energy and resources sectors,” Mr Squire said.

“The event provides a unique and valuable opportunity to collectively come up with solutions and identify actions to influence outcomes for the community.”

The Community Leaders Council is a key initiative to promote open communication and respectful collaboration to achieve balanced coexistence outcomes. 

The discussions and findings from the event will be captured in an Outcomes Report to be released later in the year.