QFF's Energy Education and Engagement Advisor role, supported by Powerlink Queensland, has provided an update on the first six months in the role.

Originally published on the QFF website here

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It’s been a busy six months for QFF’s Energy Education and Engagement Advisor (EEEA) Stephanie McKechnie, with strong foundations set for a busy year of energy advocacy in 2025.

A key objective of this role is to facilitate meaningful engagement and improve awareness across Queensland’s agriculture sector to support the development of policy, projects and initiatives in relation to renewable energy.

Additionally, the role supports QFF’s peak body members to identify and leverage opportunities relating to agriculture and the renewable energy transition, as well as to raise and mitigate risks facing the sector.

Since July, the role has:

• met with each member group to understand their concerns and issues related to renewable energy

• attended more than 30 stakeholder meetings held to introduce the role and establish critical strategic relationships

• set up a governance committee to guide the role’s direction and escalate key issues from the sector, cutting red tape and accelerate collaboration

• completed a comprehensive submission on the Queensland Government’s Draft Renewables Regulatory Framework Discussion Paper

• undertaken a detailed analysis of renewable energy and transmission projects to understand position impacts in each agricultural region

• presented at community renewable energy forums in Miles and Nebo.

QFF CEO Jo Sheppard said the scale and pace of the renewable energy transition continues to accelerate and getting coexistence with agricultural land and partnerships with regional communities right is crucial.

“It is so important that the perspectives of farmers across the state are understood and appropriately considered as we continue to work our way through Queensland’s expanding remit of renewable energy” Ms Sheppard said.

“The transition will bring changes to the agricultural landscape, and it is important that Queensland’s world class food, fibre and foliage production and farming enterprises are not adversely impacted by this transition and, that farmers are supported to make informed decisions.”

Supported by Powerlink, the EEEA acts as a key link between the energy sector and QFF’s 18 peak body members and the 13,000 primary producers they represent throughout regional Queensland.