Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan blasts federal coalition’s nuclear energy policy

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan promises she did not get all her views on nuclear power from The Simpsons and Mr Burns’ radioactive power plant.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan promises she did not get all her views on nuclear power from The Simpsons and Mr Burns’ radioactive power plant.

The Premier made the joke before launching into the federal Coalition’s controversial nuclear energy proposal in Melbourne on Thursday.

The opposition has been talking up its nuclear energy plan, which included community incentives similar to UK, US and Canadian schemes as a better way to net zero than renewables.

On Thursday Ms Allan announced a red tape-slashing shake up to the approvals process for renewable energy projects in Victoria.

Speaking to about 500 attendees at a ‘state of the state’ address, Ms Allan prefaced a response about nuclear energy with “you should never become at any issue with a closed mind”.

“I’ve got lots of thoughts on nuclear, and they’re not just formed by watching Simpsons as a teenager,” she said.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan addresses the State of the State CEDA luncheon in Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

The Premier later labelled the coalition’s trumpeting of nuclear energy as hypocritical.

“These are the same people who, for the best part of the last 20 years, have been denying that climate change was real … and trying to do everything they could to block and stop progressive legislation that was about making a difference to investing in renewable energies to drive investor confidence,” Ms Allan said.

Previous coalition governments had been “whipping up anxiety” about renewable projects on farms, she said.

The Coalition’s nuclear energy plan will offer incentive packages for communities, including potential subsidised electricity prices for local industries. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“But these are the people who are now coming out and saying that nuclear is the way to go. Well, I think we can see it for what it is. They’re trying to shift the goalposts again,” the Premier said.

Nuclear was expensive, hypothetically a long way off, and in the past 10 years Victoria had tripled its renewables to 38 per cent of the total mix, she said.

“Victoria has the lowest energy prices on the mainland. Demonstrating that renewables do provide that cleaner, cheaper source of energy,” Ms Allan said.

“Why not get on board with that, not running off trying to distract everyone with the discussion about nuclear.”

Victoria’s energy challenge was put in the spotlight last month when hundreds of thousands across the state were left without power after all four units at AGL Energy’s Loy Yang A power station shut down and wild storms brought down power lines.

Changes to renewable energy planning approvals announced Thursday are designed to ease a glut of projects which end up in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s ‘state of the state’ address Thursday focused primarily on renewable energy policy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

All new renewable projects in Victoria will be treated as significant economic development, making them eligible for an accelerated pathway, removing the planning panel process and third-party appeals at the tribunal.

Since 2015, more than 20 per cent of applications ended up at the civil and administrative tribunal.

About $90bn of projects bringing 15,000 jobs were in the pipeline, the Premier said.

“We will cut the red tape holding back projects that provide stronger, cheaper power for Victorians.”

Mr Dutton’s office did not respond to a request for comment.