Wind turbines in Queensland and NSW are killing rare Aussie wildlife – and wind farm operators are being trained to ‘kill’ koalas ‘humanely’ – as Labor commits to zero emissions by 2050

It's the slaughter of Australia's wildlife that no one wants to talk about.

But the reality is that for every wind turbine built in Australia, a grim death toll follows.

It's almost a contradiction in terms; wind is central to Australia's optimistic goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

But the unique wildlife that Australians hope to protect by reducing emissions and thereby slowing global warming, including wedge-tailed eagles, falcons, magpies and other birds and animals, are falling victim every day to wind farms across the country.

Meanwhile, other wind farms are being built in prime koala habitat, meaning some will starve and die.

The detail comes from billionaire Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest's Squadron Energy reports, Australia's largest supplier of renewable energy sources, requiring wildlife farm operators to provide 'carcass reports' of dead wildlife.

Squadron has a portfolio of 11 wind farms across Victoria and NSW, as well as the Clarke Creek site in Queensland, which is in its second phase of development.

And while the company has repeatedly stated its commitment to protecting wildlife, mandatory carcass reports posted by each wind farm during the early stages of development indicate that this is not always possible.

A biodiversity management plan for Clarke Creek notes that the project could result in the destruction of up to 1,513 hectares of koala habitat.

In addition to habitat loss, mass casualties of birds and bats have already occurred on these wind farms due to collisions with turbine blades and during vegetation clearance, and these numbers are only expected to rise further.

Bango Wind Farm in south-west NSW conducted a detailed carcass count from September 2022 to August 2023, finding six wedge-tailed eagles, one peregrine falcon, six magpies and ten dead bats.

And at Crudine Ridge Wind Farm, in north-west NSW, 19 dead bats were found, along with five wedge-tailed eagles, two falcons and five kestrels.

Clarke Creek also had a 'fauna euthanasia' clause, which vividly described administering 'blunt force trauma' to injured koalas that could not be saved.

Squadron Energy said in a statement that they 'a zero-harm policy for native animals and adheres to the highest environmental standards.

“Not a single koala was injured or killed during the construction of the Clarke Creek Wind Farm and preparations for the first phase are 60 percent complete.

'We have experienced conservation officers on site who carry out assessments 24 hours before work starts and monitor and supervise works as they occur to prevent damage to wildlife. They are qualified to respond to wildlife encounters and relocate animals if necessary.

'In the unlikely event of injury, all animals encountered should be assessed for injury to determine whether the animal requires further treatment and care by a veterinarian or wildlife handler.'

The biodiversity management report describes how 'euthanasia' should be carried out using 'blunt trauma' when a dying animal cannot be saved.

“This is a hard, sharp blow to the base of the back of the skull with a blunt metal or heavy wooden rod,” the report said.

The report was written before March 2022, when Mr Forrest's Squadron Energy acquired the project, and was signed by the then coalition government led by Scott Morrison.

Michelle Landry, Liberal Party MP for the Central Queensland electorate of Capricornia, said she was “shocked” by the Clarke Creek Wind Farm proposal.

'203 animal species have been identified in the region where these wind farms are being built. It is an excellent habitat for koalas, gliders and crack pigeons.'

She described the wildlife euthanasia clause as “absolutely sickening.”

Ms Landry said local livestock farmer Glen Kelly warned that “there will be dozens and dozens of animals killed and maimed in this process.”

'There are areas in the region where mining is taking place. Why is this not being used instead of destroying the habitat of our native animals?,” he argued.

Squadron has committed to providing a third of the clean energy the Labor government needs to reach its target 82 percent renewable energy on the grid by 2030.

Australia is committed to growing its renewable energy sector, with more than 300 wind farm projects currently operating, under construction or proposed across the country, according to Australia's Energy Infrastructure Commissioner.

Meanwhile, the coalition is advocating an “all of the above” approach, combining the use of small amounts of nuclear energy with renewable energy, to keep prices low.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton is expected to pursue a nuclear energy policy in the next election.

Just last week, Energy Secretary Chris Bowen called the nuclear proposal “a fantasy wrapped in a delusion, accompanied by a utopia.”

He said nuclear power would have “no impact at all on the transition to renewables” and described the coalition's support as “an attempt at distraction.”