Victoria’s planning laws to strip NIMBYs of right to block renewable energy projects

Victoria’s planning laws are set to be overhauled to cut red tape on renewable energy projects and strip NIMBYs of the right to hold up applications in VCAT.

Victoria’s planning laws will be overhauled to cut red tape and fast-track renewable energy projects by stripping the rights of third parties to hold up applications in VCAT.

From April 1, shovel-ready renewable energy projects will become eligible for an accelerated planning pathway under the Development Facilitation Program (DFP).

The accelerated pathway will deem all new renewable projects a “significant economic development” and remove the planning panel process and VCAT appeals from the not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) movement.

Since 2015, more than one in five applications for renewable energy have ended up in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).

Speaking at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) industry lunch on Thursday, Premier Jacinta Allan said the change would ensure objections didn’t get “stuck on a shelf” at VCAT.

Premier Jacinta Allan says the change will ensure objections don’t get ‘stuck on a shelf’ at VCAT. Picture: David Crosling

“The current system means that there are important projects that can be tied up for years, seeking approval,” she said.

“It delays construction and deters investment, and instead of spinning turbines, we’re too often left spinning our wheels.

“The business as usual approach for project development just won’t cut it anymore.”

The change means that from the time a complete application is lodged, decisions can be made within four months.

Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny said on average applications were taking 134 days to process.

“But that doesn’t cover applications that necessarily end up in the VCAT and we’ve seen that might add nine months, in some cases, two, three, four years,” she said.

Ms Allan said the voices of communities would continue to be protected but time-consuming and repeated delays would be avoided.

Ms Allan said there is now about $90bn worth of investment value in renewable projects in the state’s pipeline.

“Victoria’s next Big Build is going to be in this renewable energy transition,” she said.

Pacific Blue CEO Domenic Capomolla said the government’s clean energy targets were “very ambitious” but that the reforms would mean the industry is “much more likely” to reach those benchmarks.