Blow the Truth

The Palaszczuk Government will task leaders in industry, innovation and the environment to explore new opportunities out of US President Joe Biden’s upcoming climate summit. Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said she would request her climate advisory council to look at the outcomes of the summit of 40 global leaders. “Queensland has become a leader when it comes to supporting zero emissions technology, the jobs of the future and protecting the environment,” Ms Scanlon said. “It’s this government that set a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and a 50 per cent renewables target by 2030. “It’s under this government that places like Gladstone and Townsville are becoming hubs of hydrogen. “We’ve built the world’s longest collection of electric vehicle chargers and we’ve committed to new buses on our network being zero emission buses from 2025. “We established the $500 million Land Restoration Fund with 18 projects already underway, and Queensland now boasts 44 large-scale renewable en...

T he Palaszczuk Government has today taken action to ensure the state’s vilification and hate crime laws reflect its commitment to deliver a fair and inclusive community for all Queenslanders. The Leader of the House, the Honourable Yvette D’Ath MP, today referred the matter of serious vilification and hate crime to the Queensland Parliament’s Legal Affairs and Safety Committee. Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman said: “We recognise and value the extraordinary contribution that individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds make to our communities, which is why we are committed to a strong and unified Queensland that is fair, harmonious and inclusive. “Prior to the last state election, we made a commitment to refer the Cohesive Communities Coalition’s options paper 'Serious vilification and hate crime: The need for legislative reform' to an appropriate Parliamentary Committee for review and consultation. “The Cohesive Communities Coalition options paper...

Wind Farm Image by  Ben Kerckx  from  Pixabay   Two wind farms and up to 400 jobs in the Southern Downs are a step closer to reality with the State Assessment and Referral Agency giving the green light. Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Steven Miles said Acciona received approval to build the $1.96 billion MacIntyre Wind Farm Precinct (the Precinct) at Cement Mills, approximately 40 kilometres south-west of Warwick. “Soon there will be 180 wind turbines in the Darling Downs South West region propelling up to 1026 megawatts of energy into Queensland’s electricity network,” Mr Miles said. “Once operational the MacIntyre Wind Farm Precinct is expected to generate enough renewable electricity to supply about 700,000 Queensland homes. “The MacIntyre Wind Farm Precinct is set to provide up to 400 local jobs during construction, with an additional 240 jobs for the construction of the 64km transmission line, and 14 full time jobs once in operation. “Acciona also expe...

The Palaszczuk Government has announced $200,000 in new funding to support Indigenous festivals, events and jobs for the Year of Indigenous Tourism. Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said applications for event funding were now open. “This is an excellent opportunity to develop existing and new Indigenous tourism experiences and encourage even more visitors to make Queensland their destination of choice,” Mr Hinchliffe said. “With COVID-19 disrupting tourism in 2020, the Palaszczuk Government has extended the Year of Indigenous Tourism to the end of 2021. “The Year of Palaszczuk Government Indigenous tourism Festivals and Events Fund is putting $200,000 on the table to showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture to help tourism rebuild stronger. “We’re looking to invest in innovative events and festivals that encourage off-season tourism and help local communities to thrive.” Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Craig Crawford said over five yea...