Wind energy amendments

Amendment VC161 (gazetted 17 September 2019) changes the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes to introduce new requirements for renewable energy facilities and make a correction to Amendment VC157. The Minister for Planning is now the responsible authority for all new renewable energy facilities and utility installations that are 1 megawatt or greater.

Amendment VC159 (gazetted 8 August 2019) changes the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes to introduce and revise land use terms. This included amending the definition of ‘Utility installation’ to include transmit, distribute or store power, including battery storage.

Amendment VC157 (gazetted 15 March 2019) changes the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes by requiring planning approval for power lines to connect new large-scale electricity generation facilities to the electricity network.

Amendment VC148 (gazetted 31 July 2018) changes the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes from the Government’s Smart Planning program. This program aims to simplify and modernise Victoria’s planning policy and rules and achieve a more efficient, accessible and transparent system.

Amendment VC149 (gazetted 4 October 2018) changes the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes to mandate statutory environmental audits of noise assessments at both the pre and post-construction stages of a wind energy facility development, in accordance with the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into the Environment Protection Authority.

Amendment VC130 (gazetted 4 July 2016) changes the Victoria Planning Provisions and all planning schemes by amending Clause 52.32 Wind Energy Facility to delete Clause 52.32-8.

Amendment VC126 (gazetted 28 January 2016):

• reduces the time required to decide an application to make changes to approved wind energy facilities
• aligns the processes and time required to amend permits issued for wind energy facilities, and clarifies that the location of a wind turbine is measured from the centre of its tower at ground level
• makes minor corrections to Clause 52.32
• updates the reference to the guidelines and deletes reference to the outdated Renewable Energy Action Plan 2006.

Amendment VC107 (gazetted 26 November 2015) removes reference to the transmission or distribution systems of power lines from the 'Wind energy facility' definition. It also clarifies that the Minister for Planning is the responsible authority for the transmission or distribution of power lines associated with a wind energy facility if they require a planning permit under the planning scheme.

Amendment VC125 (gazetted 11 June 2015) changes the definition of 'Wind energy facility' in the Victoria Planning Provisions, and all planning schemes in Victoria, so that it includes the use of land to transmit or distribute the electricity generated, specifically to connect the wind energy facility to the electricity network.

Amendment VC124 (gazetted 2 April 2015) changes the Victoria Planning Provisions, and all planning schemes in Victoria, to implement the government's policy on wind energy facilities.

The amendment reduces the allowable distance between a turbine and a dwelling from two kilometres to one kilometre with the landowner's consent, and makes the Minister for Planning the responsible authority for all new wind farm planning permit applications for the use and development of a wind energy facility.

Advisory Note 61 provides information about the changes made by Amendment VC124:

Advisory Note 61: Amendment VC124 - Changes to wind energy facility provisions, April 2015 (PDF, 265.5 KB) or (DOC, 88.5 KB)