Victorian government strips NIMBYs of appeal rights for renewable projects
Community opponents of solar and wind farms will be stripped of the right to appeal to a Victorian tribunal in a bid to cut red tape and speed up project approvals.
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 Development Facilitation Program.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.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 on 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.”
The government suggests the change will lower the decision time on “state significant projects” to four months from the time an application is lodged.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny said communities will still be able to raise concerns through the usual consultation submissions process and can appeal decisions to the Supreme Court.
Victoria has an estimated $90 billion worth renewable projects in the pipeline and a target to reach 95 per cent renewable energy generation by 2035.
