Investment in large-scale renewable energy projects flow through to regional communities through many different types of agreements and activities. Community benefit sharing, while the most community-centred and flexible aspect of this, is ideally the cherry on top of a project that has strong agreements with local landholders, local governments and traditional owners, as well as robust impact mitigation strategies. 

1. Cost of doing business

   • Land use
     Land access agreements and payments to landholders/farms, neighbour payments, and Indigenous Land Use Agreements with Traditional Owners

   • Local Government
     Infrastructure contributions, rates or payments in lieu of rates, Community Benefit Agreements (QLD)

   • Jobs and contracts
     Most jobs associated with renewable projects are during planning and construction, however there will be some ongoing work required for the life of the project

2. Impact mitigation

   Often required as a bare minimum by planning frameworks to minimise impacts and risks associated with development

   • Utilities & workforce accomodation
     Road upgrades to facilitate heavy road use, widening of intersections measures to ensure workforce and project construction does not create undue pressure on local water supply, landfill capacity, utilities, housing

   • Environmental
     Avoiding biodiverse areas, minimising clearing, biodiversity offsets,stormwater retention and management,  active and ongoing threatened species and habitat protection, visual amenity measures

   • Services
     Ensuring construction workforce doesn’t cause undue pressures on local medical and social services

   • Economic
     Impacts on tourism if accommodation is taken up by workers instead of holiday makers

3. Community benefits & emerging practice going beyond compliance

   Making the local region better than it was before. Sometimes required in planning frameworks and access schemes, but not always.

   • Investing in local workers and local economies
     Reducing barriers and prioritising local skills, jobs, suppliers, supporting/investing in affordable housing supply

   • Sensitive project design
     Designing the project, e.g. roads and fences to improve compatibility with agricultural use or conservation efforts such as wildlife corridors

   • Co-ownership or co-investment models
     Partnering with local entities in direct co-ownership structures and/or gifting shares to project neighbours

   • Community benefit sharing programs
     Annual grant programs available for the life of the project, employee volunteer programs, community/corporate partnerships, revolving energy funds.

   • Environment
     Ongoing contributions to conservation efforts beyond compliance, such as supporting local indigenous ranger programs or making available environmental data collected on site.

   • Improving local energy systems
     Local energy bill discounts, providing feasibility and finance for local energy projects such as solar installations, microgrids and batteries, supporting low-income households with access to energy efficiency upgrades.

Thanks to Community Power Agency for review and input into these points