Renewable energy: Kiewa Valley 400MW battery project application lodged

The moment Kiewa Valley residents have been dreading for more than a year has arrived. An application for a 400MW battery project is in.

The outcome of a planning application for a 400MW battery energy storage system on Kiewa Valley farmland could be known in the first quarter of next year.

Mint Renewables officially lodged its application to the Victorian government last week with the assessment to be carried out by a “dedicated facilitation team” following major changes that stopped appeals to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The Allan government confirmed projects such as Dederang could be determined within four months as part of the changes that upset many rural communities.

Dederang’s Sharon McEvoy has led the charge against a battery energy storage system being built in the Kiewa Valley. Picture: Zoe Phillips

There is a 28-day period for the lodgement of objections once the application has been made.

Dederang district residents including neighbouring property owners, John and Sharon McEvoy, have fought unsuccessfully for more than a year to have the project stopped on the increased risk of fire, water quality impacts and noise concerns.

Meanwhile, one of the last objections about a renewable energy project able to be heard by VCAT before the changes has been lost.

Maffra’s Andrew Paterson took the fight against 10,000 solar panels being installed on 15ha of leased land neighbouring his property on three sides to VCAT in March.

VCAT ruled in favour of the permit being granted in August with some minor changes.