Ag + Energy Social Licence Roundtable

As we continue the transition to renewable energy, genuine collaboration is essential to achieving better outcomes for landholders and regional communities.

What is the initiative?

The Ag + Energy Social Licence Roundtable is a collaboration platform bridging the cultural divide and building trusted relationships between the ag and energy sectors for better outcomes.

Through the Roundtable, energy sector representatives collaborate with the Ag Energy Taskforce to identify strategic social licence issues at the nexus of energy and agriculture. Together we identify what’s working, areas for continuous improvement, encourage collaboration and track action through our energy and agriculture network.

Established in 2014, the Ag Energy Taskforce brings together representatives of peak Australian agriculture bodies to collaborate, build capacity and provide advocacy regarding energy costs and infrastructure impacting agricultural industries. The Taskforce has a strong focus on land use and relationships with farmers and rural communities, as the renewable transition in rolled-out.

Why it matters?

As Australia moves towards a renewable energy future, a growing number of agricultural landholders are being approached to host energy infrastructure including solar, wind and transmission on their land. Simultaneously, many regional communities and landholders are concerned about energy costs and looking for opportunities to innovate, including by hosting renewable energy infrastructure.

The Roundtable:

Drives better landholder and community social licence outcomes through the energy transition
Elevates discussions from the Ag Energy Taskforce and other relevant forums to a strategic level
Feeds into to relevant processes run through AEMO and other relevant government and market bodies
Operates as a clearing house of strategic issues rather than seeking to resolve all issues within the Roundtable.

October 2024 Roundtable

The Ag + Energy Social Licence Roundtable met on 10 October 2024, for representatives from the ag sector and our Energy Charter Signatories to come together to share, listen and raise better practice opportunities, in the spirit of building awareness, understanding and trust.

In addition, at this Roundtable session we learned about the Community and Employment Benefits Program being delivered for the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone, NSW.

March 2024 Roundtable

The Ag + Energy Social Licence Roundtable met on 27 March 2024. This Roundtable showcased a new partnership between Queensland Farmers’ Federation and Powerlink Queensland, opportunities for shared value as AGIG continues innovate around bio-fuels and an update from the Ag Energy Taskforce.

Building on the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commission Community Engagement Review, the Roundtable also considered options to respond. Warwick Squire, CEO Gas Fields Commission shared lessons learnt from Coal Seam Gas in Queensland and Katie-Anne Mulder, CEO Queensland Renewable Energy Council shared ideas on how the Energy Charter’s unique architecture could be leveraged by the renewables sector to improve engagement outcomes for Queenslanders.

March 2024 Session Resources

September 2023 Roundtable

The Ag + Energy Social Licence Roundtable met on 20 September 2023.

Ahead of the meeting the Ag Energy Taskforce have also provided a Communique on Strategic Issues for Action to guide discussion at the Roundtable.

September 2023 Presentations

June 2023 Roundtable

On 22 June 2023, the Energy Charter teamed up with the Ag Energy Taskforce and the 2023 National Renewables in Agriculture Conference and Expo to host a special Ag + Energy Roundtable event.

The Roundtable event invited conference speakers and participants to reflect on the conference and ask the critical question; where to from here?

Together, we unpacked opportunities for farmers to play a greater role in decarbonising the grid and explored how key challenges could be addressed through collaboration between the ag and energy sectors.

June 2023 Presentations

Who is collaborating on this initiative?

Energy sector collaborators

Energy Charter Signatories AEMO, AusGrid, AusNet Services, Endevour Energy, Essential Energy, Marinus Link, Powerlink Queensland, SA Power Networks, TasNetworks and Transgrid all participate in the collaborative, forum.

A range of other energy businesses, energy sector industry bodies and government representatives also attend.

Ag sector collaborators

The Ag + Energy Social Licence Roundtable is independently chaired by Joy Thomas (formerly National Irrigators Association and convener of the Ag Energy Taskforce).

The Roundtable works in tandem with the Ag Energy Taskforce, chaired by Dale Holliss of Bundaberg Regional Irrigators Group (BRIG).

Founding ag sector and community representatives include, the office of the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner, Business NSW, Central Irrigators Trust, Cotton Australia, Dairy Australia, National Farmers’ Federation, National Irrigators Council, NSW Farmers, Murrumbidgee Irrigation, Pioneer Valley Water, RE-Alliance, Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, Queensland Farmers’ Federation and Victorian Farmers Federation.

Want to learn more about this #BetterTogether initiative?

If you would like to learn more about the Energy Charter’s #BetterTogether initiative on Landholder and Community Social Licence, or join the Roundtable, please reach out to Heather Wagland, Director, Energy Transition.