Wednesday 19th February 2025
As I begin my role as Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner and Australia continues its transition to a cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy future, the conversation surrounding new energy infrastructure continues to intensify.
It is vital that we think more deeply and commit more fully to ensuring a better balance for the community. In many rural and regional communities, new energy projects come with significant trade-offs such as altering farming landscapes and disrupting communities’ ways of life. Communities may feel they are being asked to bear the burden of these energy projects, while receiving few or no advantages in return. This dilemma has to be balanced with a stable and dependable investment atmosphere. To reach our goals of more reliability, affordability and sustainability, we need investment.
Investment happens when there is increased certainty. The challenge is finding the right balance with equity, transparency, and meaningful engagement being at the heart of the process. Equity in energy infrastructure means ensuring communities are given a seat at the table, with their concerns and needs taken into account. It’s not just about consultation and information but acting on concerns and fostering a true partnership where people feel respected, and the benefits are shared.
Transparency is an equally vital pillar. Too often, large energy projects are presented to communities with little explanation of why they are needed and when and how decisions will be made. Meaningful engagement sounds easy, but it has proven a challenge. Respect is the underlying value that binds engagement. Rural and regional communities in Australia have often been the silent pillars of energy production. They have hosted mines, energy infrastructure and pipelines for decades and there are many cases of where this has been done well, where the benefits have been realised – but it is not happening well enough or often enough.
This is neither a new challenge, nor is there a complete vacuum of ideas and commitments out there. We need to progress the recommendations in my predecessor’s Community Engagement Review which reported on the poor performance to date but also spelt out clear recommendations that will assist with some of the challenges. Measures like a better narrative on the reasons for the energy transition, improved planning regimes, and pragmatic tools like the Developer Rating Scheme and mandatory codes of conduct that have meaningful consequences must be put in place urgently.
The future of Australia’s energy transition depends on getting shared benefits right. Energy infrastructure projects should be seen as investments not just in energy production but in the development of vibrant economies. This can only happen if communities are respected, engaged, and empowered throughout the process. For long-term success, energy infrastructure projects must be shaped by a spirit of true equity, transparency, and shared community benefit, ensuring that areas hosting this infrastructure are not left behind.
Tony Mahar
Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner