Training + Capability
National Landholder + Community Engagement Training
Australia is rolling out renewable energy projects in regional Australia, the scale of which has not previously been seen. With this, a growing number of landholders are being approached to host renewable energy infrastructure on their land.
These renewable energy developments, as well as the maintenance of existing infrastructure, can impact the operations, lives and livelihoods of landholders, neighbours, Traditional Owners and First Nations communities, local governments and their communities. We all have a responsibility to recognise and minimise these impacts and work towards shared value outcomes for everyone.
Our National Landholder + Community Engagement Training is a practical and immersive program designed for professionals working at the heart of Australia’s energy transition. Participants gain real-world insights from landholders, community leaders and industry experts.
Through interactive workshops, expert-led sessions and on-the-ground day trips, this training is grounded in experience, shaped by community voices and built for real impact.
“As the clean energy transition gathers pace and momentum, so too does opportunities and challenges as community expectations and government regulations evolve and mature. The Landholder + Community Engagement training hosted in Gippsland was a day to share knowledge, practice and probe new ideas. Best practice is paramount and as an industry we must embrace collective action, collaboration to support co-opetition over competition and respectful consideration of stakeholders across community, government, industry and academia. The Landholder + Community Engagement training day in Gippsland delivered on all!”
Renewable Developer Training Participant, Gippsland
In October 2025, in partnership with the RDA Orana and supported by ACEREZ, EnergyCo, Essential Energy and JLL, we headed to Dubbo, where we explored better practice landholder and community engagement. The training focused on
- Learning how to identify and deliver social value
- Mastering better practice engagement strategies
- Connecting with peers and community leaders
- Leaving with tools you can apply immediately
- Understanding what’s happening in Australia’s first declared Regional Energy Zone (REZ).
What was covered
- Interactive workshops with rich scenarios and peer learning
- A field trip to meet landholders and see collaboration in action
- Case studies from the Central-West Orana REZ and beyond
- Expert-led sessions with Kirsty O’Connell and Dr Richard Parsons
- Community voices sharing what’s working and what needs work.
Meet the trainers
- Kirsty O'Connell - Co-founder of The Australian National University's Next Generation Engagement Program
- Dr Richard Parsons - Social Impact Assessment (SIA).
In March 2025, in partnership with Marinus Link, we headed to Traralgon, Victoria in the Gippsland Region at the heart of Australia’s energy transition. This unique, immersive training saw participants hear from landholders, community engagement experts and community organisations about how to build trust during project development. This training focused on:
- Encouraging participation from people who engage directly with landholders as part of renewable energy and transmission projects, particularly those involved in land liaison, negotiation and community engagement
- Hearing directly from impacted landholders and community representatives on their lived experiences and to better understand opportunities for improvement
- Gaining insights and better-practice tips from experienced industry colleagues about building trust when engaging with landholders and community
- Creating ample opportunity for networking and the development of peer relationships.
What was covered
- Panel discussions to hear direct insights from Landholders + Community about what’s working, what builds trust and opportunities to improve
- Building your Toolkit for Trust: practical tools and strategies to foster collaboration and trust
- Gathering actionable strategies for route and site selection, empowering you to more effectively collaborate with landholders and communities
- Lessons from experienced land agents and community engagement leaders and discover how to elevate landholder + community voices to decision-makers
- A full-day field trip showcasing the real energy transition in action, set against the stunning backdrop of Gippsland’s landscape.
Meet the trainer
- Kelly Parkinson - Risk Communication Specialist.
In September 2024, in partnership with Transgrid, we headed to the Transgrid Discovery Hub in Wagga Wagga. The training focused on:
- Hearing directly from landholders on what’s going well and where we can improve
- Understanding community concerns and better practice communications and engagement
- Insights from land agents and community engagement leaders about things they have learnt on the ground and explored how to support each other.
What was covered
- The social licence context
- Setting the scene: Renewable energy development and why we need to get it right
- Landholder Insights Panel: Chat with landholders on what’s going well and our opportunities to improve
- Communicating controversial projects with Kelly Parkinson: Full day training on understanding and responding meaningfully to community concern
- Land Agent Insights Panel: Chat with land agents and community engagement leaders to share experiences
- Explore Wagga Wagga: A full-day field trip showcasing the real energy transition in action including Tetris Battery Storage Facility + Solar Farm, Gregadoo substation works, Transgrid tower construction/erection, a temporary construction camp and laydown area, tower construction at various stages of construction and Bomen Solar Farm.
In February 2024, in partnership with Powerlink Queensland, we headed to Brisbane where we explored how those engaging with landholders and communities on renewable energy and transmission developments can do their job well, while keeping everyone physically and emotionally safe. The training focused on:
- Hearing directly from landholders on what’s going well and where we can improve
- Innovative partnerships that are creating shared benefit.
What was covered
- Interactive workshops that explored renewable energy development in Queensland and why we need to get it right
- Panel discussions with landholders on what’s going well and opportunities to improve
- A field trip to meet landholders and see collaboration in action including supporting endangered wildlife, bushfire management, managing manage invasive plants and biosecurity rundown
- Creating psychologically safe spaces: Safe ways of working with impacted landholders facing cumulative stressors, including as a result of energy development
In October 2023, hosted by AusNet Services, we headed to Victoria with the purpose of supporting those responsible for working directly with impacted landholders and communities.
What was covered
- Interactive workshops
- Panel Q&A including environment, planning and heritage approvalsLand and easement valuations for transmission projects
- Understanding the legal process through the eyes the landowner
- Understanding and identifying key impacts throughout construction
- Creating psychological safety for teams
- Creating a peer support Action Plan
