Victorian councils set to lose wind farm planning authority as State Government takes control
Credit: ABC News | 31 March 2015 | www.abc.net.au ~~
Victoria’s Energy and Resources Minister says planning changes for new wind farm developments are designed to attract more investment in regional Victoria.
Tomorrow, local councils will lose their planning authority over wind farms and the responsibility will be transferred to Planning Minister Richard Wynne.
The Bulgana Wind Farm, near Great Western, was the last to be approved before the change, when Northern Grampians councillors voted in favour of it last week.
Energy and Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said stakeholders would still get the chance to have input into the process.
“Projects that generate hundreds of millions of dollars of economic benefits, investment and jobs are of great state significance and therefore it is imperative and appropriate for the Planning Minister to be the planning authority for such projects,” she said.
She said it was a deliberate strategy to ensure more wind farm developments were given the green light.
“We believe that is an import step to generate and attract and facilitate investment in renewable energy in Victoria and grow those jobs and investment in regional Victoria,” she said.
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