Former Nationals MP Pushes to Ban Wind Farms in State Forests

MP Andrew Gee argued many families chose land near state forests expecting privacy buffers, only to find themselves facing industrial-scale wind proposals.

Andrew Gee, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs in Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on March 29, 2022. Photo by Martin Ollman/Getty Images

With rural communities pushing back against turbine projects in forestry zones, independent MP Andrew Gee is seeking to block wind farms in state forests.

Introducing the Stopping Wind Farms in State Forests Bill 2025, the former Nationals MP said successive governments allowed turbines in pine plantations without proper protections for nearby residents, creating what he called a planning and political failure.

“I introduced it because of the pain, anguish, and anger that many of our local residents are feeling over wind farm proposals in these areas … that pain and anguish has not gone away, and politicians of all persuasions have failed to act,” he told the Parliament on Nov. 3.

Gee said many families chose land near state forests expecting privacy buffers, only to find themselves facing industrial-scale wind proposals near towns and homes.

“I’m not against renewable energy, but what our communities are crying out for is reasonable, common sense and balance,” he said.

Locals Feel ‘Ignored’ by Developers

Gee said residents have reported token consultation from developers and limited transparency about turbine placement impacts.

“Fly in, fly out, ticker box consultation from developers without meaningful engagement and genuine dialogue has been a feature of our residents’ experiences,” he said.

He pointed to communities in areas such as Sunny Corner and Oberon, where residents are finding turbines less than a kilometre from homes, including retirees who invested life savings in rural blocks yet now find themselves close to 300-metre towers.

Gee accused companies of placing turbines where access and transmission costs are lowest, rather than where community disruption is minimal.

Bill Seeks Federal Override

Framing the problem as a failure of state planning systems, Gee argued the Commonwealth must intervene.

The bill uses federal constitutional powers to prohibit corporations from constructing, installing or commissioning wind farms in any state forest, overriding state approvals where necessary.

“This bill steps in to fill a void created by their failure,” Gee said.

He urged all major parties—including his former colleagues in the National Party—to back the bill, saying residents are tired of “false promises and empty words.”

The motion was seconded by Member for Kennedy Bob Katter, who warned of environmental damage, arguing a “beautiful nature wonderland is being turned into an industrial wasteland.”

Queensland Retreat Adds Momentum

The bill was moved two months after Queensland’s recent policy reversal, evidence of shifting political sentiment.

In September, Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie confirmed the government would repeal legislation allowing wind farms in state forests, saying it had “created fear and anxiety in local communities.”

“The Crisafulli government is ending years of uncertainty for the local community by repealing the special purpose legislation introduced by Labor designed to steamroll the local community in their reckless rush for renewables,” he said.