Opinion article
7th August 2025
The energy transition can’t keep happening to community
Let’s be honest: this energy transition is big, complex, and it’s a fast-moving train that has departed the station. But if communities continue to be left on the platform as the train disappears down the track, we will leave a disastrous trail of lost trust, unfairness, and missed economic opportunity alongside those left behind.
Too many rural and regional communities feel like this transition is being done to them, not with them. Projects are being announced, good people are being approached by charlatans and salespeople looking for a quick sales and signature under a veil of non-disclosure secrecy. Timelines are being set, and decisions made, while locals are left feeling like bystanders in their own backyards. That’s not just unfair—it’s unsustainable.
We need a fundamental reset in how we approach this transition. Last week, the 2024 Annual Report for the AEIC was tabled in Parliament. This report documents 2024 as one of the busiest on record with complaints increasing alongside what is expected to be an increase in energy infrastructure development. Two-thirds of the complaints to my office related to wind infrastructure, with solar and transmission lines the other major concerns in the community. NSW and VIC are the two key states where the community is feeling left behind.
We are at a tipping point with activity expected to increase significantly in the next few years. As we go forward the transition can’t be about continuing to do what has been done to date. It simply must improve, and it must be about genuine, ongoing collaboration. Respect. Trust. Legacy.
Communities are not just convenient locations for infrastructure. They are places of identity, history, and deep local knowledge. And if we want this transition to work, we must stop seeing them as obstacles and start treating them as partners.
We also need to get better at telling the story. Many people still don’t fully understand why we’re doing this—why change is necessary, and what it will mean for their daily lives. That’s on everyone involved. We can’t expect people to trust a system they don’t understand or feel excluded from.
Fairness must sit at the heart of this process. It’s not enough for landholders to benefit. The whole community must see the value. We need REZs to be seen as Regional Enhancement Zones—places where benefits are shared and futures are shaped together not just grid planning tools. I’ve been working with key stakeholders to make sure things like the government’s Developer Rating Scheme provides more confidence and transparency in what is happening in relation to social licence. This will be a welcome addition if we get it right. In addition, we need immediate demonstration of support such as cheaper energy in regions and commitment to legacy investment that benefits the community like childcare, healthcare, and aged care.
And here’s another thing: most communities don’t have the time, money, or technical expertise to navigate this alone. That’s where government and industry need to step up—with accountability, transparency, and real support. If we can’t get that right voluntarily, regulation will need to do the job.
Trust has taken a massive hit. We need to rebuild—with clear commitments, honest conversations, and follow-through. Accountability can be everyone’s fierce friend. Because we need to shift from just building turbines or transmission lines to thinking about building a future.
Success in this energy transition shouldn’t just be measured in megawatts. It must be measured by the strength of our relationships and the respect we show to the people whose communities are at the centre of it all.
Tony Mahar
Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner