Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs)

A CBA usually includes three main parts:

Mandatory mitigation - Actions the project developer must take to manage social impacts. This may include community engagement, local jobs, transport, environmental impacts, land and water management, community safety and handling complaints.

Legacy benefits - Financial contributions the project developer must make to the community benefit fund, including when payments must be made. 

We manage the community benefit fund and make funding decisions based on community feedback, local priorities and the requirements of the policy.

Funding from a renewable energy project must be used within that project's local benefit area or provide a clear benefit to the communities in that area. It can't be used for unrelated projects in other parts of the Toowoomba Region.

Governance and accountability - The processes that help the agreement work over time, including reporting, monitoring, reviews, dispute resolution and managing changes to the project or agreement.

Monitoring and enforcement of commitments

The CBA includes reporting and monitoring requirements so we can check that commitments are being delivered. It also includes processes for resolving issues or disagreements if they occur.

Some agreements may include additional safeguards, such as financial security arrangements. The focus is on identifying and resolving issues early, with legal action available if needed.

A deed is intended to operate over the relevant life of the project, which may be 30 years or more.

Commitments apply at different stages of a project. Some commitments are most important during construction, when impacts on the community are often at their highest. Other commitments, such as contributions to the community benefit fund, may continue throughout the life of the project.

Review process

CBAs are long-term agreements and may need to adapt as circumstances change. To support this, they include review processes that allow the agreement to be assessed at key stages or when significant changes occur.

These reviews help keep commitments practical, relevant and effective throughout the life of the project, without needing to predict every situation that may arise in the future.

We manage the community benefit fund which receives funding from renewable energy project developers through their CBAs.

This funding is separate from the costs of managing project impacts. It is used to support eligible projects and initiatives that provide long-term benefits to communities connected to renewable energy developments.

A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) examines how a proposed project may affect local people and communities and identifies measures to manage potential impacts. This can include impacts on housing and accommodation, local employment and businesses, community services, health and wellbeing and the way people live and interact within their community.

A Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP) is prepared by the project developer and explains how those measures will be put into practice and monitored over time. Potentially affected communities and stakeholders will be engaged during the process.

The findings and commitments outlined in the SIA help inform the CBA deed. The deed sets out the responsibilities agreed between us and the project developer and makes those commitments legally binding.

Development approvals and CBAs work together but serve different purposes:

• A development approval sets the conditions a project must meet through the planning and approval process.
• A CBA sets out how the project developer will manage social impacts and deliver agreed benefits to the community.

The CBA does not replace the project's development approval or any other legal requirements.

The CBA and SIA occur before the development application is lodged. The project must then proceed through the applicable development assessment process.

Queensland Government assessment process

Large renewable energy projects are assessed and approved by the Queensland Government through the State Assessment and Referral Agency.

This process considers matters such as project location, noise, visual impacts, environmental requirements, bushfire management and other technical standards.

A CBA cannot change these requirements or approval conditions.

Instead, a CBA focuses on how a project may affect local people, communities, Council infrastructure and services. It can also provide long-term benefits for communities affected by renewable energy development.

We review the project's SIA and can raise local issues through the State assessment and public consultation processes.

Renewable energy projects can be sold to a new owner during their lifetime. CBAs include requirements to make sure the agreement stays in place if this happens.

If a project changes ownership, the new owner must take on the responsibilities in the agreement. This helps ensure that community benefit commitments and measures to manage impacts continue into the future.

A CBA does not mean we support or oppose a renewable energy project. Renewable energy projects go through a separate development assessment process to determine whether they can be approved.

Our role in a CBA is to help represent the interests of local communities by working with project developers to manage social impacts and secure community benefits.

The CBA process is separate from any decision about whether a project is approved. 

A CBA also does not show whether the community supports or opposes a renewable energy project.

We recognise that people in the community may have different views about renewable energy projects. Some people may support the opportunities these projects can bring, while others may have questions or concerns about their impacts. 

The purpose of a CBA is to help manage social impacts and deliver community benefits. It is separate from the process used to assess and approve a project.