Queensland’s planning framework is getting its biggest refresh in almost a decade.

The draft State Planning Policy 2026 is now open for consultation, with proposed changes relevant to resources, renewable energy, infrastructure and other major projects.

Among the changes:

• energy becomes a standalone State interest
• stronger protection is proposed for important resource areas
• greater emphasis is placed on coordinating growth with infrastructure
• State assessment benchmarks are proposed to move from the SPP into the Planning Regulation

At Onward, we’re proud to have delivered Queensland’s very first progressive rehabilitation and closure plan (PRCP) schedule audit in 2024. It was a milestone not just for us, but for the state’s mining industry, which is navigating an evolving regulatory landscape that puts rehabilitation and closure front and centre.

Queensland’s renewable energy landscape is changing and battery storage has also now entered a new phase of regulatory scrutiny. In December 2025, the Queensland Government introduced significant planning reforms that bring large-scale BESS projects into the same assessment framework already applied to wind and solar farms.

These reforms follow on from earlier changes in 2025 that made solar and wind developments impact assessable and required developers to complete social impact assessments and community benefit agreements before applications could proceed

This week, the Queensland Government introduced a more rigorous assessment process for wind farm developments, transitioning from a code assessable to impact assessable process. This marks a pivotal shift in the state’s approach to renewable energy projects.

Environmental Project Manager Priya Jolly explains what the changes mean for QLD wind farm projects.