Queensland has announced milestones with two significant projects: the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project and the Gladstone hydrogen facility. 

While the state spruiks its commitment to green energy and economic revitalisation, the projects are not without controversy.

Premier Steven Miles recently addressed concerns regarding the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project, the proposed world's largest of its kind. 

Costing an estimated $12 billion and potentially displacing around 50 homes alongside significant agricultural land, the project has stirred local opposition.

 Key ecological concerns include the potential impact on a local platypus population, estimated at around 300 individuals, whose habitat could be destroyed.

“At the outset I want apologise for the pain and suffering you have felt around the way the initial announcement about this project was made,” Premier Miles expressed in a recent meeting with locals.

Despite the backlash, he has reaffirmed the government's intention to proceed, highlighting the site's strategic suitability for such a renewable energy project, which is expected to be operational by 2035.

Meanwhile, the state's foray into hydrogen energy is taking shape in Gladstone, where Fortescue has inaugurated Australia's first commercial-scale electrolyser manufacturing facility. 

This facility, part of a broader Green Energy Manufacturing Centre, is a major part of Queensland's strategy to become a hub for hydrogen energy production, both for domestic use and international export. 

“This facility delivers new clean economy manufacturing jobs in Gladstone, and my government is right behind it,” Miles said.

The Gladstone project is expected to generate significant employment, with 240 jobs during construction and 93 ongoing operational roles.