Shaping Renewables on the Downs Forum: Working Together for Better Outcomes

Shaping Renewables on the Downs Forum; Working together towards a better future.
📅 Date: Wednesday, 26th March 2025
🕘 Time: 8:45 AM – 3:45 PM
📍 Venue: Karl Langer East Room: Burke & Wills Hotel, Toowoomba
🎟 Tickets: $15 (includes morning tea and lunch)

Join us for a pivotal event shaping the future of renewable energy in Southern, Western and Darling Downs!

The Shaping Renewables on the Downs Forum aims to bring together community members, landholders, stakeholders, and government representatives to discuss how to address the challenges of the renewable energy rollout so it can benefit the whole community.

The renewable energy rollout is a massive opportunity for the Downs to reap community, economic and drought-proofing benefits. However, the renewable energy rollout must be done right, ensuring regional communities are actively involved and have a voice, while supporting farming livelihoods and protecting our precious natural areas. Bring your voice to the table to enrich and deepen the discussion on how we go forward. It is the intention to document the issues, ideas and concerns raised at the forum into a report to give to all levels of government highlighting what changes are needed next. 

Let’s work together to create a better future for the Downs region.

Why Attend?

• Explore Key Issues: What needs to change to ensure ‘renewables are done right’ so they protect our precious natural places and ensure farming benefits 
• Have Your Say: Share your ideas, concerns, and priorities to influence the future of renewables planning and regulation in Queensland to ensure maximum benefits and collaboration for local communities from renewables on the Downs.
• Shape Policy: the forum's findings will be documented into a report to be shared with all levels of government.
• Hear from experts: and decision makers about key issues and impending policy changes.

Who Should Attend?

• Stakeholder community groups
• Engaged community members
• Landholders and farmers
• Government and departmental representatives

Key Speakers and Panellists include: 

• Geoff McDonald, Mayor of Toowoomba Regional Council
• Brent Finlay, Southern Downs Farmer
• Clare Silcock, Queensland Conservation Council
• Renee King, Western Downs Regional Futures
• David Carr, String Bark Ecology
• Rick Humphries, Farmer and Granite Belt Sustainability Action Network President
• Dr Kathryn Reardon-Smith, Farmer and UniSQ
• Damian Hewat, Electrical Trades Union
• Paul Dawson, Bunya Peoples Aboriginal Corporation
• Kim Mallee, Community Power Agency
• Associate Professor Ben Lyons, UniSQ
• Todd Rohls, Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce
• Ben Lyons, Institute of Resilient Regions UniSQ
• Katie Unipan, Acciona
• Andres Araya, Cubico Investment
• Nikki Macqueen, Millmerran Commerce and Progress Inc
• Jamie Dennison, AgForce
• Rachelle Cooper Kulkarni, Sustainify
• Andres Araya, Cubico
• Daniel Andersen, PowerLink,

For a full list of speaker biographies please visit here: https://docs.google.com/docume...

Program Information:

The Shaping Renewables on the Downs Forum will be a dynamic and participatory discussion exploring the key issues, challenges and opportunities of the renewable energy rollout. Each session will include panel responses, questions and audience small group discussion.  

Panel sessions will include:

• Scene Setting- The Renewable Energy Revolution in Southern Queensland: Plans, Opportunities, and Challenges.
• Industry Perspectives: What opportunities are present in the Downs for renewables? What will a transition bring to the area?
• Farming and Renewables: What are the challenges and opportunities of renewables for landholders?
• Biodiversity and Nature: The future of biodiversity and nature on the Downs - renewable energy impacts.
• Community Benefits and Challenges: How can we ensure communities are respected and benefit from the renewables rollout?
• Vision Session: Discussion exploring next steps for the region going forward. 

The full program can be viewed online here: https://docs.google.com/docume...

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Be part of the conversation advocating a more sensible and community-focused renewable energy rollout of renewables.

Registration Details
🎟 Tickets: $15 per person. Morning tea and lunch provided.

Phone: 0455 619 454 Contact: info@ddec.org.au