For central Queensland grazier Fiona Hayward, the choice of what is best for the future of her small town is complicated.<\/p>\n
“I’m probably getting ready to sit in the dark with candles,” she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Hayward lives near Biloela, 580\u00a0kilometres north-west of Brisbane.<\/p>\n
The region’s economy is reliant on agriculture, mining and coal-fired power.<\/p>\n
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The Callide Power Station has four generating units. (ABC News: Tobi Loftus)<\/p>\n
The Queensland government is set to release its energy road map this Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is a five-year plan that will include more gas, private investment in renewables, and extending the life of coal-fired power stations, including the Callide B Power Station near Biloela.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Treasurer and Minister for Energy David Janetski said the road map would put aside “ideology” to focus on economics and engineering.<\/p>\n
The road map comes in the wake of Rio Tinto<\/a> flagging last week it would potentially close its Gladstone Power Station six years earlier than expected in 2029.<\/p>\n Power station ‘a positive’ for the town<\/p>\n For Biloela, the Callide B Power Station, which was first commissioned in 1988, was previously set to close in 2028.<\/p>\n Now it will continue operating until at least 2031, according to the state government.\u00a0<\/p>\n “It’s definitely a positive for the town, it’s a very big employer and \u2026 it’d be devastating for the community if it was shut down,” Ms Hayward said. Fiona Hayward says communities like Biloela feel like ‘ground zero’ in the national energy debate. (ABC Capricornia: Katrina Beavan)<\/p>\n Sitting on her verandah, Ms Hayward said she was not a supporter of coal mining or renewable energy because of its impact on agriculture.<\/p>\n She said the energy transition had been difficult on the town.<\/p>\n “It’s crap \u2026 it’s where the community gets quite divided,” she said.<\/p>\n “Suddenly, all of those different viewpoints and all of the different policy decisions are affecting us directly.”<\/p>\n Fiona Hayward’s family built the historic Kilburnie Homestead, near Biloela, which the public can view on select open days. (ABC Capricornia: Katrina Beavan)<\/p>\n Biloela is in a renewable energy zone, an area earmarked by the Queensland government for renewable energy development.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the recent federal election, the LNP proposed the area was suitable for a small nuclear facility, something Ms Hayward would like explored.<\/p>\n Her concern for the region’s future prosperity, and whether there would be enough well-paid jobs for young people, was shared by Adam Burling, a local councillor.<\/p>\n Mr Burling also works part-time at Batchfire Resources, a mine that feeds thermal coal to the power station.<\/p>\n “I’d like to see more jobs that replace those ones out of the power station, and that’s one thing that I fear,” he said, noting his views were not representative of either of his employers.<\/p>\n Mr Burling said while renewables would provide construction jobs, they would not provide enough long-term employment.<\/p>\n Adam Burling says the power station being extended a few years gives the community a bit more certainty. (ABC Capricornia: Katrina Beavan)<\/p>\n Mr Burling has previously had two tilts at politics, having run once as an independent and a second time with Katter’s Australia Party for the state seat of Callide.\u00a0<\/p>\n He believed the extensions for coal-fired power would give his community more time to plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n “People were scrambling, thinking, ‘Oh, where am I going to go? What’s my house price going to do?’ So it’s been a really good thing,” he said.<\/p>\n Many of the roughly 260 employees at the Callide Power Station live in Biloela. (Australian Story)<\/p>\n Major repairs still underway<\/p>\n Callide Dawson Chamber of Commerce secretary Shari Hancox said local small businesses relied on the power station.<\/p>\n “Everyone is hopeful that the industry remains and the significant repairs that have happened to the power station indicate that potentially it will live longer than what they’re anticipating,” she said. Shari Hancox says Biloela’s economy largely relies on the power station. (ABC Capricornia: Katrina Beavan)<\/p>\n The power station has had several catastrophic failures in recent years, including <\/a>two explosions<\/a> and a <\/a>cooling tower collapse<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n CS Energy, the state-government-owned company that owns Callide, spent $85 million on major maintenance works on Callide B last year.<\/p>\n The Queensland government owns six of the state’s eight coal-fired power stations, including Stanwell, Tarong, Tarong North, Callide B and C, and Kogan Creek.<\/p>\n Could power stations close without warning?<\/p>\n Amanda Cahill is the founder of The Next Economy, a charity that advocates and supports communities transitioning to zero emissions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Amanda Cahill says changing government policy is risking renewable energy investment. (ABC Capricornia: Tobi Loftus)<\/p>\n “The existing coal infrastructure is facing a whole lot of pressure and stress and we’re seeing a lot of breakdowns, so this isn’t actually going to help us with our energy security,” Dr Cahill said.<\/p>\n “The big challenge here is that even if they extend the date of the power station, it doesn’t actually ensure that it’s going to stay open when they’re under this much stress.”<\/p>\n She warned coal-fired power stations could close suddenly and without warning, leaving communities without enough time to retrain workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) urged the state\u00a0<\/a>government to also uphold emissions reduction targets.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stephanie Gray says the government has walked back its commitment to the energy transition. (ABC News: Michael Lloyd)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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