Sponsor speech Supports
Andrew Gee
Andrew Gee supported the bill as its sponsor.
Read in Hansard ↗Stopping Wind Farms in State Forests
Current status
This bill is currently before Parliament.
Policy area
Climate, energy & environment
What does this bill do?
The bill would stop constitutional corporations from constructing, installing or commissioning wind farms in State forests or Territory forests.
Why was it introduced?
The bill was introduced because Andrew Gee said communities near proposed wind farms in state forests were experiencing stress, anger and poor consultation, especially around projects near Sunny Corner, Oberon, Trunkey Creek and Molong. He said he was not against renewable energy, but argued that state planning laws had failed to protect nearby residents and that Commonwealth legislation should stop corporations building wind farms in state forests.
Broader context
The bill sits in a wider conflict over how quickly Australia can build renewable-energy infrastructure while managing local objections, environmental concerns and state planning rules. Andrew Gee framed the bill as a response to wind farmThe bill defines this as infrastructure for generating and storing energy from wind, including associated transmission and distribution infrastructure. proposals in New South Wales state forests and said local communities were being surrounded by turbines without meaningful consultation. The collected media context also shows the other side of the policy pressure: wind farmThe bill defines this as infrastructure for generating and storing energy from wind, including associated transmission and distribution infrastructure. developers and energy reporters described NSW projects as delayed by objections, approval timelines, environmental conditions and grid connections.
Key criticism
The supplied local sources do not include an opposition speech, committee scrutiny report, division or amendment challenging this specific bill. The main concern visible in the collected evidence is broader rather than bill-specific: media context reports that wind farmThe bill defines this as infrastructure for generating and storing energy from wind, including associated transmission and distribution infrastructure. projects in New South Wales were already facing approval delays, community objections and grid-connection problems, so a federal ban on wind farms in state forests would sit against pressure to speed the renewable-energy rollout. The bill materials themselves say the bill has no financial impact and does not present human-rights concerns.
Who supported it?
Andrew Gee MP introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from Katter's Australian Party, some crossbench members.
Introduced in House 03 Nov 2025
At second reading in House 03 Nov 2025
Not yet reached Senate —
Not yet law —
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
219 days
Updated 10 June 2026.
Meaning
What does this bill do?
-
The bill would stop constitutional corporations from constructing, installing or commissioning wind farms in State forests or Territory forests.
-
It specifically names the Sunny Corner, Vulcan, Mount David, Gurnang and Canobolas State Forests, but its definition of State forestFor this bill, land dedicated under a State law as a State forest, or land dedicated under a Territory law as a Territory forest. The bill also names five New South Wales State forests as examples. is broader than those five named places.
-
For this bill, a State forestFor this bill, land dedicated under a State law as a State forest, or land dedicated under a Territory law as a Territory forest. The bill also names five New South Wales State forests as examples. would include land dedicated under a State law as a State forestFor this bill, land dedicated under a State law as a State forest, or land dedicated under a Territory law as a Territory forest. The bill also names five New South Wales State forests as examples. and land dedicated under a Territory law as a Territory forestFor this bill, land dedicated under a State law as a State forest, or land dedicated under a Territory law as a Territory forest. The bill also names five New South Wales State forests as examples..
-
The bill defines wind farmThe bill defines this as infrastructure for generating and storing energy from wind, including associated transmission and distribution infrastructure. broadly to include infrastructure for generating and storing wind energy, plus associated transmission and distribution infrastructure.
-
The proposed ban would be enforceable by injunctionA court order that can require someone to do something or stop doing something. The bill would let the proposed ban be enforced through injunctions in the Federal Court of Australia., with the Minister able to apply and the Federal Court of AustraliaThe federal court the bill names as the court that could hear injunction applications about the proposed ban. named as the relevant court.
-
If passed in its introduced form, the whole Act would start the day after Royal AssentThe formal approval that turns a passed bill into an Act. This bill had not received Royal Assent in the collected APH record..
Show source excerpts
-
A constitutional corporation must not construct, install or commission a wind farm in a State forest.
Stopping Wind Farms in State Forests introduced bill text -
Without limiting the definition of State forest in subsection (4), each of the following is a State forest: (a) the Sunny Corner State Forest; (b) the Vulcan State Forest; (c) the Mount David State Forest; (d) the Gurnang State Forest; (e) the Canobolas State Forest.
Stopping Wind Farms in State Forests introduced bill text -
State forest means: (a) land dedicated under an Act of a State as a State forest; or (b) land dedicated under an Act of a Territory as a Territory forest.
Stopping Wind Farms in State Forests introduced bill text -
wind farm means infrastructure for the generation and storage of energy from wind, and includes associated transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Stopping Wind Farms in State Forests introduced bill text -
Subsection (1) is enforceable under Part 7 (about injunctions) of the Regulatory Powers (Standard Provisions) Act 2014. For the purposes of that Part: (a) the Minister is an authorised person in relation to subsection (1); and (b) the Federal Court of Australia is a relevant court in relation to subsection (1).
Stopping Wind Farms in State Forests introduced bill text -
The whole of this Act The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.
Stopping Wind Farms in State Forests introduced bill text
Context
Broader context for this bill
The bill sits in a wider conflict over how quickly Australia can build renewable-energy infrastructure while managing local objections, environmental concerns and state planning rules. Andrew Gee framed the bill as a response to wind farmThe bill defines this as infrastructure for generating and storing energy from wind, including associated transmission and distribution infrastructure. proposals in New South Wales state forests and said local communities were being surrounded by turbines without meaningful consultation. The collected media context also shows the other side of the policy pressure: wind farmThe bill defines this as infrastructure for generating and storing energy from wind, including associated transmission and distribution infrastructure. developers and energy reporters described NSW projects as delayed by objections, approval timelines, environmental conditions and grid connections.
- 2021
Sponsor links the bill to New South Wales planning changes
In his second readingThe parliamentary stage where members debate the main purpose and principles of a bill. The collected record shows the second reading was moved on 3 November 2025. speech, Andrew Gee said New South Wales had allowed wind farms in state forests and created renewable energy zones without properly setting out the rights of impacted residents and neighbours.
Hansard second reading speech ↗ - 04 Sept 2023
NSW wind projects reported as delayed by approvals and objections
A collected Australian Financial Review article reported that wind farmThe bill defines this as infrastructure for generating and storing energy from wind, including associated transmission and distribution infrastructure. developers in New South Wales saw projects being stalled by approval delays, community objections and slow connections to the power grid.
Australian Financial Review ↗ - 12 Nov 2024
NSW issued new guidelines for wind and solar project approvals
A collected Australian Financial Review article reported that New South Wales issued planning rules intended to speed renewables approvals while setting minimum distances for wind turbines and transmission towers and addressing turbine noise and solar glare.
Australian Financial Review ↗ - 03 Nov 2025
Andrew Gee introduced the bill in the House of Representatives
The APH timeline records the bill as introduced and read a first time, then having its second readingThe parliamentary stage where members debate the main purpose and principles of a bill. The collected record shows the second reading was moved on 3 November 2025. moved, on 3 November 2025 in the House of Representatives.
Parliament of Australia ↗ - 25 Nov 2025
Later reporting described objections delaying clean-energy projects
A collected Australian Financial Review article reported that objections from people living far from proposed projects could trigger referral to the NSW Independent Planning Commission and delay major clean-energy developments.
Australian Financial Review ↗
Legislative route
How did it move through Parliament?
House Senate
Introduced 03 Nov 2025
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
Second readingThe parliamentary stage where members debate the main purpose and principles of a bill. The collected record shows the second reading was moved on 3 November 2025. opened 03 Nov 2025
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second readingThe parliamentary stage where members debate the main purpose and principles of a bill. The collected record shows the second reading was moved on 3 November 2025., opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second readingThe parliamentary stage where members debate the main purpose and principles of a bill. The collected record shows the second reading was moved on 3 November 2025. moved
Key criticism
The main case against this bill
The supplied local sources do not include an opposition speech, committee scrutiny report, division or amendment challenging this specific bill. The main concern visible in the collected evidence is broader rather than bill-specific: media context reports that wind farmThe bill defines this as infrastructure for generating and storing energy from wind, including associated transmission and distribution infrastructure. projects in New South Wales were already facing approval delays, community objections and grid-connection problems, so a federal ban on wind farms in state forests would sit against pressure to speed the renewable-energy rollout. The bill materials themselves say the bill has no financial impact and does not present human-rights concerns.
This does not prove the bill faced no criticism. It means the local source bundle contains no direct parliamentary opposition or scrutiny criticism for this bill, and only broader renewable-energy planning context.
Further sources
Votes
Recorded votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Who spoke, and what they said
Start here — lead voices
Lead non-major voice Supports
Bob Katter
Bob Katter seconded and supported the motion.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
Minor parties and independents
2 speakers · 2 support
Minor parties and independents
2 speakers · 2 support
-
Andrew Gee ★ Andrew Gee supported the bill as its sponsor.
“My bill enables the federal government to use its constitutional powers to make laws to stop turbine developments in these state forests. This federal legislation would override failed state legislation.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Bob Katter ★ Bob Katter seconded and supported the motion.
“I second the motion. I greatly appreciate the honourable member for moving this legislation.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Full record
- Status
- Before Reps -- Collected from the APH bill page.
- Originating house
- House of Representatives
- Bill type
- Private member's bill -- The APH metadata lists the bill type as Private and the sponsor as Andrew Gee MP.
- Source coverage
- Thin official source bundle -- The local bundle contains introduced bill text, explanatory memorandum, APH timeline metadata, two collected Hansard speeches and selected context documents. It contains no proposed amendments, divisions, passed bill text, ministerial speech URL separate from the collected Hansard record, or final Act metadata.
- 03 Nov 2025
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
- 03 Nov 2025
House · Second reading moved
Second readingThe parliamentary stage where members debate the main purpose and principles of a bill. The collected record shows the second reading was moved on 3 November 2025. opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second readingThe parliamentary stage where members debate the main purpose and principles of a bill. The collected record shows the second reading was moved on 3 November 2025., opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.