The state government has announced it will withdraw from a wind farm in central Queensland and instead partner with another wind farm in the state’s north-west, saying it is not in line with the state’s energy roadmap.
The More Creek wind farm, proposed by private developer Central Queensland Power (CQP), would be built on farmland 30km west of Rockhampton and would have 60 turbines to power around 200,000 homes.
Publicly owned generator CleanCo partnered to acquire the project.
However, the company said in a statement on Wednesday that it has evaluated all projects in development and that the More Creek wind farm is not aligned with its “current strategic activities, commercial portfolio, and investment priorities given changing energy market conditions.”
Cleanco said it has withdrawn from further development and all delivery activities at the More Creek wind farm, but remains in discussions with CQP about “potential future generation opportunities”.
The former Palaszczuk government announced in October 2023 that Cleanco would partner with CQP and move into public ownership once development was complete.
This was CleanCo’s first partnership since its founding in 2018.
A day after the company announced its withdrawal from the central Queensland project, the Crisafulli government announced that Cleanco had signed a 10-year deal with Windlab in the state’s north-west to secure 75 per cent of Kennedy Energy Park’s wind energy output from 2028.
“We know that the energy shift to renewable energy can have a positive impact on communities, but only if done right,” said Finance Minister David Janetsky.
Kennedy Energy Park is located Near Hughenden Located between Mount Isa and Townsville. 12 turbines, 43 MW wind farmmore than 55,000 solar panels and 2 megawatts of battery storage.
More Creek wind farm still in operation
Nick Holland, pictured with his wife Melanie and son, said up to 20 wind turbines could be seen from the nearest one, More Creek Wind Farm, two kilometers away. (ABC News: Scout Warren)
Central Queensland Power, a joint venture between Energy Estates and Renewable Energy Systems, said the project would still go ahead.
“The More Creek project remains a well-positioned project,” said Director Matt Rebeck.
The project secured federal funding through the Australian Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme in October last year.
CQP did not disclose the amount of the funding, but confirmed to the ABC that the funding would remain in place and continue to be utilized, but was open to other investors.
The 2,500 hectare farm in Wikaba, Netherlands has been in Nick’s family for generations. (ABC News: Scout Warren)
Nick Holland, a rancher from Wikarba, which is adjacent to the project, submitted a petition to the state government last year with more than 1,000 signatures calling for the wind farm to be decommissioned and the state to divest from the project.
On Thursday, Mr. Holland said he was relieved that Cleanco was leaving.
“It was not an appropriate location given the number of neighbors and the impact on residents,” he said.
Mr Holland said other concerns included visual impact, construction phase, impact on local residents, vegetation buffers and runoff.
“There were a lot of people in the vicinity of this project who shared a variety of concerns about how it would affect them,” he said.
The More Creek Wind Farm Project is currently undergoing assessment under the federal Government’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC).
It secured state government approval in 2023.
The epicenter of wind farm woes
The Clark Creek wind farm was approved before the LNP state government amended the law in 2025.
The new law requires public consultation and community benefits agreements with local councils for new development applications, and requires third party appeals to be allowed.