A new “truth map” is aiming to catalogue and track—for the first time—the $1.38 trillion (US$860 billion) worth of net zero-related developments across Australia.
Released by conservationist and wilderness photographer Steve Nowakowski, along with academic Tim Nevard, the interactive online map reveals some staggering figures including the scope of current net zero plans.
Australians can expect current wind turbine building to increase by six times to about 31,000 towers.
The researchers estimate that only 30–40 percent of all the turbines will be operational at a single moment—due to weather conditions—and will need replacing every 15–20 years.
On top of that, Australians can expect about 350–550 million solar panel units to cover over 443,755 hectares—an area larger than metropolitan Sydney.
These are estimated to only be operational—due to cloudy conditions—18 to 25 percent of the time and need replacing every 25 years.
It also highlights 28,000 kilometres of transmission lines—longer than a single lap around the equator—and 7,800 kilometres of undersea cables through marine habitats.
There is also an expected 44,000 kilometres of new haulage roads required to transport heavy wind turbine blades, an expanse longer than Australia’s coastline.
The online tool by Rainforest Reserves Australia was officially launched on Oct. 6 on World Habitat Day. Users can zoom in on their own suburb in order to see the renewables projects that are either being planned or operating in that area.
Co-author Nowakowski, a long-time researcher into the impact of wind turbines on local wildlife, said he chose World Habitat Day to highlight the risk large-scale renewable project building posed to native wildlife.
“After decades photographing Australia’s wild places, I have never seen a threat like this,” he said in a statement.
“The Truth Map empowers every Australian to see what is really happening—zoom into your backyard and see what is coming. For too long, the full picture has been hidden.
“This isn’t just about economics,” Nowakowski added. “It’s about the kind of country we leave for future generations.”
Nowakowski believes Australians need to be made aware of the scale of the nation’s renewables push.
“Australians have not been honestly told the scale of what is planned for their land, seas, and communities,” he said. “The Truth Map changes that. It puts knowledge and power back in the hands of ordinary citizens.”
Nowakowski has long been involved in conservation and campaigning, in addition to practicing environmental photography.
In order to create the map, he worked with communities, conservation groups, and media outlets.
The Epoch Times contacted the Smart Energy Council for a response to Nowakowski’s project.
Support Among Rising Concerns
Federal MP Colin Boyce, who presides over the state electorate of Flynn, has spoken in support of the map.
Like many other opponents to large-scale renewables, the Nationals MP is concerned about the impact on the environment.
Boyce says there are close to 100 such projects in his electorate alone, on agricultural land and in ranges.
“The mapping shows that these projects are in places that Australians want protected,” he said in a statement.
“The sheer extent of the destruction of our regions can finally be seen, easily searched and all in one place.”
Boyce, and the authors of the online tool, are not alone in their concerns.
North Queensland conservationist Roger Martin told The Epoch Times in 2024 that plans to transform a section of the state the size of Tasmania posed a direct threat to koala populations.
Meanwhile, South African scientist Adrian Paterson spoke at an inquiry last year where he outlined the “distressing” risks posed to bats and birds by wind farms.
A planned offshore windfarm zone southwest of Perth is also causing concern among conservationists, with claims planned projects could endanger a critical whale birthing area.
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