It's negative to negative for community 'being dictated to' on batteries

On Thursday, March 14, Victorian premier Jacinta Allan announced they will be accelerating the planning approval process for renewable energy projects.

The changes will concentrate power in the hands of planning minister Sonya Kilkenny, removing the requirement for applications to go before a planning panel, and block third-party appeals to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal (VCAT).

It will also see any renewable project, no matter how small, be declared a "significant economic development", able to gain planning approval in as little as four months.

Dederang resident Leon Allen, who would be a neighbour to two lithium battery sites should they go ahead, described the move as a threat to democracy.

"We are being dictated to by a majority who are not affected," he said.

"To have a basic right of appeal against a facility to be taken from us in a stroke of a pen is just appalling.

"I thought we lived in a democracy. They've taken away our fundamental right and I'm just gob smacked.

On Thursday night, March 14, over 250 people filled Dederang Reserve clubhouse for a community meeting to discuss two BESS sites proposed in the Kiewa Valley.

Mint Renewables struck a deal with two landowners to create a 400-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) last year.

On Friday, March 8, another multinational corporation in Trina Solar followed suit, with an additional 500-megawatt lithium battery system located about 1.7km southwest of the Dederang Terminal Station.

Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy hosted the meeting with guest speakers senator Bridget McKenzie and Alpine Shire mayor John Forsyth, who broke his silence on the project for the first time.

Senator McKenzie echoed Mr Allen's concerns, accusing the Victorian government of stifling community opposition.

"We have governments like this seeking to take away basic rights of a liberal democracy such as the rule of law and the right to appeal," she said.

"Governments should need to prove to you this is good for you before they do it to you.

"Corporations should be mandated to have social license before they can just walk in onto your property and destroy our food production."

Mr McCurdy said he was concerned the campaign against BESS sites in Dederang would be for nothing under the changes.

"I am incredibly concerned that by removing the planning panel process as well as third-party appeals at VCAT, we will see more communities ignored by Labor in their push for renewables," he said.

"I ask the premier this: how would you feel if you had a massive fire hazard built in your backyard and you couldn't do anything to stop it?

"The premier preaches transparency yet delivers secrecy."

Mr Forsyth explained his reason for remaining silent on the proposed BESS projects, saying the council must remain neutral.

In the case of Winky Pop vs Hobsons Bay City Council, a councillor condemned a planning project before it was debated at council and was sued because of his conflict of interest.

This, Mr Forsyth said, is why he and other councillors have been hesitant to take a stand.

However, he said the government should be doing their utmost to preserve prime agricultural land.

"I believe we should be really pushing for the retention of farming land wherever, not just in this valley, but across Australia," he said.

Mint Renewables said it hopes to lodge a planning permit in March-April, 2024 while Trina Solar said it was planning community engagement meetings for June-July.