$9 billion in projects fast-tracked using special powers
Victoria has fast-tracked more than $9 billion worth of renewable projects in less than two years, using the planning minister’s broad powers to bypass objections and speed up approvals.
But VicGrid, the state’s energy infrastructure planning agency, has paused consultations on renewable energy zones in fire-affected communities.
Government data shows Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, using powers under the Development Facilitation Programme, has fast-tracked approvals of 25 renewable projects worth more than $9 billion since 2024.
Once completed, these will power more than 735,000 homes a year, and battery storage projects in the pipeline could produce enough electricity for 2 million households in the evening.
The scheme is a COVID-era scheme being expanded in 2024 to meet the government’s housing and energy agenda.
The changes aimed to treat every new renewable project as a significant economic development and make them eligible for a faster approval process that removes the need for planning panels and third-party VCAT objections.
Projects at VCAT have also been able to apply for the faster route, which is estimated to take just four months to complete.
Third party objections are still allowed as part of this process but may be resolved more quickly than through VCAT.
The latest approvals under the scheme include a 300-megawatt battery approved at Heywood, capable of meeting the evening demand of 103,000 homes, while Glenrowan’s 400-megawatt battery could power 138,000 homes during peak periods.
They are located near key parts of the power grid to store excess energy produced by solar and wind during the middle of the day and supplement supply at night when demand is high and production is low.
To bid under the program, companies were required to consult with society and government agencies about their proposals.
Prior to the expansion of the Development Facilitation Programme, the government estimates that more than one in five applications for renewable energy schemes since 2015 were delayed in Victoria’s Civil and Administrative Tribunal, with timelines delayed by as much as two years in some cases.
“This fast-tracked pathway has unlocked more than $9 billion of investment in renewable energy projects, helping to deliver cheaper, cleaner energy to hundreds of thousands of Victorian households,” Kilkenny said.
This week Victoria confirmed it had exceeded its renewable energy target for 2025; renewable energy accounted for 22.6 percent of electricity production, compared to the legally established target of 40 percent.
Nearly 100 large-scale projects, including 54 solar farms, are in operation, and about 16 percent of the state’s electricity was provided by rooftop solar last year.
Wind farms produce about 24 percent of the state’s electricity, and 10 more onshore farms have been approved for construction.
“We know the cost of living is tough for many Victorians, so we’re building the energy future that will help reduce energy prices and deliver real benefits for households and businesses,” Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said.
The scale of renewable energy and storage approved and under construction represents a significant change to the state’s electricity grid ahead of the planned closure of the Yallourn power station, one of Australia’s largest coal-fired generators, in 2028.
Victoria’s offshore wind tenders, originally expected to deliver two gigawatts of power, are already a year behind schedule, putting further pressure on onshore wind, solar and batteries to offset Yallourn’s loss of 1.48 gigawatts of power when it goes off the grid.
But the implementation of these projects in regional Victoria and the transmission lines required to connect them to population centers have at times faced fierce opposition from local communities.
These frustrations largely focus on the use of land for projects that benefit supply and reliability for major cities, or poor consultation from developers, prompting governments to bid. more targeted benefits for regional communities and restrict cowboy behavior.
A conference organized by the Across Victoria Alliance in Horsham this weekend, which will include a speech from One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce of the rebel National Party, will focus heavily on the impact of these projects on forests at a time when One Nation’s poll numbers are rising.
Joyce told this imprint in january His focus would be to stop Victoria from rolling out wind farms, solar farms and transmission lines.
Prime Minister Jacinta Allan described the event as a “misinformation meeting” and will not be able to attend despite being invited.
Opposition Leader Jess Wilson withdrew, citing scheduling conflicts, but Victorian Nationals leader Danny O’Brien and upper house opposition leader Bev McArthur will attend.
Victoria will pause consultations on the declaration of six proposed renewable energy zones to be designated as hubs for wind, solar and battery farms after their boundaries expire, VicGrid said on Thursday. announced last year.
The government has also made significant changes to the boundaries of the state’s six proposed renewable energy zones to meet environmental and industrial concerns.
The agency said in a letter that now is not the right time to consult on the zones as these communities are still responding and recovering from this summer’s bushfires.
Community sessions planned for late January and early February in these areas will be rescheduled and VicGrid aims to extend the consultation beyond the current 22 February deadline to give people more time to provide feedback.
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