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ARTICLE · 30 JULY 2025

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New Community Benefit Agreements For Queensland Renewables Projects

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP
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Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP

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The Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 commenced on 18 July 2025, making Social Impact Assessments and Community Benefit Agreements...

AustraliaEnergy and Natural Resources
Kathryn Pacey
Kathryn Pacey
Jasmine Wood
Jasmine Wood
Dan Tweedale
Dan Tweedale
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The Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 commenced on 18 July 2025, making Social Impact Assessments and Community Benefit Agreements a pre-condition to lodging development applications for wind farms and solar farms over 1MW. The reforms are said to be about ensuring renewable energy projects have social licence with affected communities before development approval is sought. But what exactly is a Community Benefit Agreement and what do proponents need to think about when engaging with councils?

Community Benefit Agreements

A community benefit agreement, or CBA, is an agreement about providing a benefit to a community in the locality of a development that requires a social impact assessment under the Planning Act 2016.1 It is intended that a CBA between a proponent and the relevant local government will deliver 'tangible, place-based community benefits' targeted towards the specific needs of communities

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