Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Minister Wong. Minister, the government's own community engagement review of renewable energy projects surveyed 250 landowners and community members who live in close proximity to renewable energy infrastructure or transmission projects. The results of that survey are a shocking wake-up call: 92 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with the engagement of project developers, and 85 per cent said their concerns were not addressed in a timely manner. Farmers like Ben Duxson, who's here in the gallery today from central Victoria, have travelled to Canberra to express their concerns about the farm-destroying projects like VNI West being promoted by this government. Minister, why has the government not listened to people like Ben and adjusted its plans to install 22,000 solar panels a day and a wind turbine every 18 hours in response to the immense opposition to these projects in rural and regional Australia?