350-megawatt battery approved for Wimmera

Wimmera farmers have been “blindsided” by the approval of a 350-megawatt battery to be built in the Northern Grampians, after just a nine-week approval process.

Wimmera farmers have been ‘blindsided’ by the approval of a 350-megawatt battery to be built in the Northern Grampians, after just a nine-week approval process.

Located 23km east of Stawell in Victoria’s Wimmera, the $250 million Joel Joel Battery Energy Storage System is the first renewable energy project to be approved under the Allan Government’s fast-tracked pathway, and will be the largest battery in Australia once operating.

The Allan Government announced in March that renewable energy projects would be eligible for an “accelerated planning pathway” under the Development Facilitation Program, removing the planning panel process and third-party appeals at VCAT.

Shadow minister for agriculture Emma Kealy. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Shadow minister for agriculture Emma Kealy, whose Lowan electorate neighbours Joel Joel, said farmers had been blindsided by the announcement.

“Nobody knows anything about it. It’s a 10ha battery, no one even has the address to ascertain where it is,” she said.

Ms Kealy said the fast-tracking process was a “way for Labor to trample over communities”.

“(Residents) don’t have the opportunity to have their voices heard, to speak about the cultural heritage significance of the area, or how possible fires might be dealt with in the local community.”

In 2021, a fire broke out at the Victorian Big Battery at Moorabool in Geelong’s north, with the blaze smouldering over four days.

A fire at Victoria's Big Battery, Moorabool. Picture: Alison Wynd

Mayor of Northern Grampians Council Rob Haswell said he only heard about the project for the first time on the morning of the approval.

“We had no idea of this. We hadn’t been told by the state government. It means all of our local communities had no say in a decision that is going to affect our area for years to come,” he said.

“It’s outrageous to think there’s going to be a 10ha project in your shire and you haven’t had the courtesy of hearing about it.”

While Mr Haswell had not been contacted, The Weekly Times understands that chief executive of Northern Grampians Shire Council Brent McAlister was notified directly in regards to the project on two occasions, on May 30 and June 11, while the Department of Transport and Planning also met with the Council on May 9 informing them of the impending lodgement of the project.

The Weekly Times understands that nearby properties were notified of the proposed project on June 11, and were given until August 8 to make a submission to the Department of Transport and Planning, but no objections were received.

The battery is part of Victoria’s energy storage targets of at least 2.6 gigawatts of energy storage capacity by 2030 and at least 6.3 gigawatts by 2035, alongside a target to reach 95 per cent renewable energy generation by 2035.

“This streamlined process allows us to bring good renewable projects like battery storage systems online faster so that we can provide more Victorians with cheaper and cleaner energy,” Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny said.

Joel Joel BESS will leverage the existing Bulgana Terminal Station and the Bulgana to Ballarat Overhead Powerline, with construction expected to commence in late 2025, with the facility to begin providing energy storage services to Victoria in 2027.