MEDIA RELEASE
27th October 2025
Landholders to be protected under new approach outlined by the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner
Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Tony Mahar has today outlined expectations for energy infrastructure that will address community concerns around who is responsible for the assets when they reach their end of life.
The Australian community faces a growing challenge in the coming decades, as a significant number of turbines, panels, and batteries installed nationwide may require decommissioning. The community is rightly asking, “What happens when this infrastructure reaches the end of its life?”
The AEIC view is there must be more certainty and clarity around who pays, what measures are going to be in place and how much it will cost.
“It's no secret that as this energy transition continues to progress, we should keep our eye on the future and prepare for the safe and sustainable end-of-life management of renewable energy infrastructure. For the most part the key concern here is how much and who pays” Mr Mahar said.
“The community needs more confidence that there will collaboration and rock-solid commitments that landholders won’t be left out of pocket if something goes wrong” Commissioner Mahar said.
It is well known that industry and government must work together to ensure a fair transition for all stakeholders. To achieve this, industry, all levels of government (local, state, and federal), and community members must commit to, financial protections, and clear expectations on how these pieces of infrastructure will be managed once they reach a stage where they are decommissioned or re-powered.
The crucial things that must be established include:
a) Landholder agreements must contain a consistent suite of clauses and/or conditions addressing end-of-life activities.
b) As part of a nationally consistent framework, state planning authorities should develop or revise mandatory model minimum requirements for end-of-life plans in regulatory conditions in consultation with industry.
c) Development of a nationally consistent framework that enables appropriate and legally enforceable mechanisms to provide financial certainty for the costs of decommissioning focussed on timely industry contributions indexed over time.
d) An updated and nationally consistent database be established to provide advice on costs for decommissioning recognising project specific characteristics.
“During my first year I have had hundreds of conversations with community members, Councils, and industry. I don't think there has been one conversation where the issue of decommissioning hasn't come up” Mahar said.
“This issue needs to be sorted, and I’m committed to working with organisations like the Clean Energy Council, State and Federal Governments to make sure we provide more confidence and clarity on this important concern. I know there's been work done and will continue to be work done on it – let’s get it done and move onto addressing other concerns so we can ensure the energy transition is smoother and fairer” Commissioner Mahar said.
The AEIC acknowledges the valuable work being undertaken by other stakeholders, including government, in this space. We welcome opportunities to align efforts for greater effectiveness.
The Commissioner’s Position statement is available at: Position statement: Treatment of renewable energy assets at end of life – protection for landholders.