As Australia moves to reduce carbon emissions, local governments say policy is needed to protect food security and regional communities.A number of local governments are working to create a planning framework for regional councils facing an influx of renewable energy proposals.
In 2022, the Albanese government said it would cut Australia's emissions by 43 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030. Ms Lefroy said she saw enormous potential in renewable industries, but needed to ensure any project approved by her local government also delivered lasting community benefit and protected prime agricultural land and water resources.
"To help us understand how we protect our food production, how we ensure national food security, and looking at the fairness to ensure that landowners and communities have reasonable opportunities to engage with the decision-making," she said.Moora is one of five local governments working with the WA Local Government Association to create a land use policy framework to balance the agricultural and energy industries' interests.
Ms Lefroy said existing guidelines sometimes lacked "teeth", and she was hopeful a collective land use policy across WA local governments would ensure local authority.