North Queensland Conservation Council

$40,000 | August 2023

What do North Queensland Conservation Council do?

NQCC is dedicated to climate action and conservation in North Queensland. We advocate for ambitious climate action that delivers outcomes for nature, communities and First Nations people.

Why is this work important?

Queenslanders are leading into local government elections in the first half of next year, with a state election less than 18 months away. If we are to get real wins for climate at a local and state level, we need organised communities that can stand together – particularly in regional Queensland.

North Queensland has just come out of an unusually mild summer, and, with the cost of living and housing crises taking hold, the climate crisis has taken a backseat in the minds of communities and politicians. As an El Niño phase is forecast for next summer, our region is likely to be impacted once again by record-breaking heatwaves, localised or widespread flooding events and a tense cyclone watch. Our local movement needs to be ready, with opportunities for North Queenslanders to raise their fears, concerns and proposed solutions with local decision-makers, and put climate firmly on the agenda.

In recent years, more and more North Queenslanders have come to recognise the impacts of climate change in their daily lives. However, the rapid rollout of industrial-scale renewable projects on our doorstep has a lot of people concerned about what the solution to the climate crisis looks like for local communities and our rich biodiversity.

Within the growing strength of the Townsville Community Alliance, we now have the framework and relationships to collaborate strategically across civil society, to portray climate change as a widely felt issue and to be well supported in our calls to action.

There is a growing tension between the demand for clean energy, biodiversity conservation and community consultation. Conservative voices in North Queensland continue to push back on renewable energy, but these are now joined by mainstream and progressive voices, concerned that this new energy industry is failing to address significant environmental impacts, including deforestation and the destruction of threatened species habitat.

Currently, no level of government is taking responsibility for managing this tension or adequately regulating this industry, and many community members are turning to us for answers. If the government and renewable energy industry do not take appropriate steps to protect the environment or consult with local communities, renewables will lose social license and conservative politicians will have strong support for investing in fossil fuels instead.

How is Groundswell supporting this work?

With Groundswell’s support, here is how NQCC plan to make impact in the coming year:

Over the next 12 months, we will strategically work to grow a powerful and diverse movement in Gurambilbarra (Townsville) and shift the narrative about local climate action, in preparation for local government elections in March 2024.

We see this as an opportunity to build community connections and power, improve public engagement with the democratic process and put climate action high on the agenda for local Councillors and candidates. We will do this, in part, by bringing together at least three local, broad-based civil society organisations and First Nations leaders to co-host at least three candidates’ forums or other community events by March 2024, centred around climate action and other community concerns.

If we can build local connections and power, and shift the political narrative around climate (frame it as a community concern, and non-partisan issue), this will put us in a stronger position to campaign for ambitious climate action in the lead up to the Queensland state election later in 2024.

There is also an opportunity for us to play an active role in harnessing opportunities and managing tensions from the renewable energy transition that is growing quickly in North Queensland. We are currently contacted on a regular basis from community members who are concerned about the detrimental cumulative environmental impacts of the numerous renewable energy projects proposed for North Queensland.

Here, our strategic goal is to improve the environmental, social and cultural outcomes of renewable energy developments in North Queensland, to support a just transition. We do this by facilitating, encouraging and supporting community engagement in consultation processes around the rollout of renewable energy, transmission and storage in North Queensland. This includes engaging with relevant government agencies, community members and groups, landholders, experts and the broader Queensland conservation movement, to secure best possible outcomes.

We are currently engaging with proponents and government agencies where possible, but we would like to grow our capacity to be able to visit the project sites throughout our large region and meet with community members face-to-face to help facilitate shared understanding and trust building. This will be a vital step in managing tensions as we advocate to industry and government on behalf of our community moving forward.

NQCC’s work aligns closely with the work of the Townsville Community Alliance, of which NQCC is an active member. The Alliance brings local civil society organisations together to listen widely to our community and put demands to the State Government, with a public action planned for early in 2024.

Grant Update

Since October 2023, we have hosted a climate-themed Candidates Forum and run a listening campaign on local climate change impacts, preparing us for a community-led State Election Assembly in October 2024. Our activities have taken place in Townsville (Gurambilbarra/Thul Garrie Waja) and on Magnetic Island (Yunbenun).

Our Mayoral Candidates Forum was held two weeks before Queensland’s council elections in March 2024, and our topic was “Climate, Environment and Liveability”. This took place at James Cook University’s Bebegu Yumba campus and was also available to online participants.

The forum featured three guest speakers: Cliff Cobbo (Senior Manager for Indigenous Engagement with WWF); Prof Stephen Turton (Adjunct Professor for environmental geography at Central Qld University) and Emma Small (a local social worker and member of Social Workers for Climate Action).

It was attended by approx. 50 community members, including candidates for local council, from across the political spectrum. The event interwove the themes of climate science, social justice and connection to Country, through presentations that inspired and informed our candidates and attendees.

From June to August, we held Story Circles (aka table talks) on local experiences with extreme weather. These were designed with support from CAFNEC and facilitated by our part-time Community Campaigner, employed in part by Groundswell funding.

Our Story Circles took place in neighbourhood centres, community spaces and homes. Participants included young parents, retirees, business owners, renters, migrants, First Nations people and people from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.

We heard personal stories from 24 participants about the direct and indirect impacts of climate change, their experiences with disaster recovery and their hopes and fears for the future. The Story Circles were in small groups, which fostered a sense of safety and trust, allowing participants to share vulnerable and honest reflections.

These stories are being compiled into an interactive online presentation that presents common themes while highlighting the diversity of experiences with climate change across our community. This will be openly available and shared with relevant decision-makers in local and state government.

Alongside Story Circles, we have worked with regional conservation councils from across the state to develop policy asks relating to heat and hazards, prior to the October State Election.