Victorian Liberal and National Party plans to require a renewable energy buffer zone of 2 km between all new wind, solar and battery projects in the state would wipe out hundreds of millions of dollars in landholder and community benefit payments and tens of millions in regional council payments, new analysis claims.
The warning, which says that new projects would be “unviable”, comes just months ahead of a state election, and fears that a Coalition government – if elected – could be as damaging to Australia’s green energy transition as the LNP government has been in Queensland.
The Victorian Liberal and National Parties first flagged plans to resurrect the 2km buffer zone rule for new renewables projects in October of 2024, as part of a Regional Energy Development Policy released by the former leader of the opposition (once removed), John Pesutto.
The policy proposal has survived the various changes in Victorian Liberal Party leadership since then and will be taken to the upcoming state election, on November 28, this year.
The rule picks up where the former Coalition Victorian government left off nearly 15 years ago, when a wind turbine buffer zone was introduced by then premier Ted Baillieu alongside no-go zones that banned wind development in some of the windiest parts of the state – bans that are still in place today.
