National Landholder Engagement Training
Australia is embarking on energy infrastructure projects the scale of which have not been seen in most people’s lifetimes. With this, a growing number of agricultural landholders are being approached to host renewable energy infrastructure on their land.
These renewable energy development projects, as well as the maintenance of existing infrastructure, can impact the agricultural operations, and lives and livelihoods of landholders and their communities.
Together, we have a responsibility to recognise and minimise these impacts and work towards shared value outcomes for everyone.
Want to join us at the next training event?
Are you interested in learning about the next Landholder Engagement Training event? Let us know below to receive details once they are available.
Landholder Engagement Training in February 2024
Are you working in regional communities and talking to landholders about energy infrastructure?
Our 2nd round of Landholder Engagement Training on 27, 28 and 29 February 2024 supported those engaging with landholders on renewable energy development to do job their job well, while keeping themselves and the landholders they’re working with physically and emotionally safe. We heard directly from landholders on what’s going well and where we can improve, as well as how innovative partnerships are creating shared benefit.
Topics covered
- The social licence context
- Setting the scene: Renewable energy development in Queensland and why we need to get it right
- Landholder insights panel: Chat with landholders on what’s going well and opportunities to improve
- Shared value: An essential building block for social licence
- Site visit: Partnering to support endangered wildlife
- Site visit: Partnering for bushfire management
- Site visit: Partnering to manage invasive plants
- Biosecurity: Washdown, obligations and new threats
- Compassion in conflict: Positive communication and de-escalation strategies
- Creating psychologically safe spaces: Safe ways of working with impacted landholders facing cumulative stressors, including as a result of energy development
- Look after yourself: Practical tips to support your own mental wellbeing
Landholder Insights Panel
During the February 2024, at the Landholder Engagement Training in Meanjin/Brisbane, we heard from a landholder insights panel who shared their stories on hosting renewable energy infrastructure.
Their wrap on what good engagement looks like:
- From James L Walker, “Look for opportunities to bring community in and get buy in.”
- From Ashleigh Duncan, “Transparency will build you trust.”
- From Susan Findlay Tickner, “Don’t ever promise anything you can’t deliver.”
- From Brent Finlay, “Listen to what landholders say. Let them go at their own speed. Listen to what they say about how they want to communicate with them.”
- From our moderator, Jo Sheppard GAICD, CEO Queensland Farmers’ Federation, “The people are important, but the governance and frameworks that sit around those people are just as important.”
In this wide ranging discussion, we covered everything from biosecurity, neighbour relationships, community benefits, the importance of soil, succession planning and opportunities to support on farm safety.
The Landholder Engagement Training in October 2023
The face-to-face training sessions were held on Tuesday 3 October – Wednesday 4 October 2023 in Victoria, with the purpose of supporting those responsible for working directly with impacted landholders to help them do their job well, while keeping themselves and the landholders physically and emotionally safe.
Hosted by AusNet Services, the training brought Land Agents and Landholder Engagement teams from Transgrid, Powerlink Queensland, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and VicGrid together, building on the work led by TasNetworks and Andrew Dyer, Australian Energy Infrastructure Comissioner earlier in the year.
Landholder Engagement Training outcomes
Over the two-day training course, participants shared insights with peers as well as heard from a range of subject matter experts and landholders with a focus on four key areas including:
- WHO: Understanding landholders and regional communities
- WHY: Building and maintaining social licence
- WHAT: The role and opportunities for better practice
- HOW: Communication, empathy and psychological safety
Topics covered
- Landholder insights – Breakfast fireside chat
- Farmers + engagement
- What’s better practice social licence
- Walking in the landholder shoes and thriving through the journey
- Panel Q&A – Environment, planning and heritage approvals
- Access agreement “Choose Your Own Adventure” role play
- Land and easement valuations for transmission projects
- Understanding the legal process through the eyes the landowner
- Construction – Understanding and identifying key impacts
- What can we do better workshop?
- Creating psychological safety for teams
- Empathy in practice
- Creating a peer support Action Plan
