Antinuclear

Victorian Premier blasts nuclear plan as renewable appeals curbed

Canberra Times, By Callum Godde and Rachael Ward,  March 14 2024 

 Opponents of solar and wind farms will be stripped of the power to appeal approvals to a Victorian tribunal, as the premier blasts the federal opposition’s nuclear pitch as a cartoon-inspired distraction.

The Victorian government will remove the ability for third parties to appeal planning decisions for renewable energy projects through the Victorian Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

From April 1, shovel-ready renewable energy projects will be eligible for an accelerated pathway under an expansion of a development facilitation program.

The change will remove the planning panel process and third-party appeal rights at VCAT amid the rise of the not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) movement.

Premier Jacinta Allan said more than one in five planning applications had ended up in VCAT since 2015, with the overwhelming majority of the initial decisions being upheld.

“Eventually these projects are getting built but it’s taking far too long,” she told reporters at a wind farm in Mount Wallace on Thursday.

“We want to spend more time on projects being build and less time on it being caught up in red tape.”……………………………

Ms Allan also took the opportunity to hit out at the federal opposition’s pre-election policy to establish nuclear reactors at retiring coal-fired power plants……………………

Ms Allan accused the federal coalition of deliberately “whipping up anxiety” over renewable projects in their backyards and pushing the nuclear debate to “distract” from Australia’s transition to net zero by 2050…………

Victoria has an estimated $90 billion worth of renewable projects in the pipeline and is targeting 95 per cent renewable energy generation by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2045…………………  https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8555578/premier-blasts-nuclear-plan-as-renewable-appeals-curbed/

March 15, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized