Indigenous people risk being left behind in the clean energy transition without investment in community-led projects, particularly in regional and remote areas.
More than 400 Traditional Owners, industry professionals, academics and government representatives have gathered for the First Nations Clean Energy Symposium on the Sunshine Coast.
They discussed challenges in the sector as well as examples of community-led projects which are leading the clean energy transition.
One of the newest, with ground breaking on the project just a week ago, is a battery project in the central-west NSW town of Wellington.
The local Wiradjuri community, through the newly formed Wambal Bila corporation, have struck a deal with renewable energy company AMPYR Australia, giving them a right to take long-term equity ownership in the $340 million project.
Wambal Bila director Gavin Brown said the deal, which gives the community the option of a five per cent equity stake, came about after AMPYR approached Traditional Owners to get involved.
Rather than short-term outcomes such as jobs or training, the project could benefit the community for decades, Mr Brown said.
“This is something that’s more closely aligned with cultural values,” he told AAP.
“You’re not digging up the land. It’s renewable, it’s a great alignment.”
AMPYR Australia chief executive Alex Wonhaus said the company wanted to go the “extra mile” to ensure it was working with the community.
“One of the biggest risks to the energy transition is actually we’re failing to bring the local communities along including, but frankly not limited to, First Nations communities,” he said.
“We as an organisation really wanted to do something which is much better than the bare minimum.”
First Nations Clean Energy Network co-chair Karrina Nolan said without investment, Indigenous people risk being left out of Australia’s move toward renewables.
“We’ve got people living in social and rental housing that can’t keep the lights on, we’ve got 15,000 people across the country on prepaid meters that are disconnected every couple of weeks,” she told the symposium.
The woes of unreliable power are a reality known all too well in the community of Wujal Wujal in Queensland’s far north.
Following heavy rain and flooding from Tropical Cyclone Jasper in late 2023, the entire 300-strong population of Wujal Wujal had to be evacuated, the community was without power for months and residents could only return a year later.
Despite the devastation, the community used the event to realise a 30-year dream – starting work on a solar and battery microgrid.
In many remote Indigenous communities, power is paid for using rechargeable cards, which Wujal Wujal resident Trinity Clarke said could mean periods without electricity for households.
“It’s to not have to rely on shoddy power cards, to have reliable power, which impacts our white goods, impacts the food a family can store in their freezers,” Ms Clarke said.
The system is set to be completed in 2027, she said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently announced $70 million for Indigenous clean energy projects.
Ms Nolan said Indigenous communities wanted to help lead energy projects.
“It’s clear that now is the time to invest in First Nations communities and support access to capital and the resources needed,” she said.
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