The Renewable Energy Alliance welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to VicGrid as it develops the Victorian Access Regime (VAR).
The Regime comprises three consultation documents, which will inform how new renewable energy projects can access the grid, and what criteria they will have to meet around engagement, social value and economic benefits for communities, landholders and Traditional Owners:
- Community Engagement and Social Value Guidelines for Renewable Energy and Transmission Projects
- Access and Connections Consultation Paper
- Draft Grid Impact Assessment Guidelines
Our submission focuses on the draft Community Engagement and Social Value Guidelines for Renewable Energy and Transmission Projects.
We advocate for a community-led and locally empowered approach to the Victorian Access Regime, aiming to maximise the social, economic, and regional benefits of the shift to renewable energy for local communities. We believe that, as drafted, the VAR does design merit criteria for benefit sharing arrangements that creates a race-to-the-top for community outcomes in Victoria, however further improvements can be made.
Our submission calls for additional mechanisms, resources, and guidelines that strengthen local capacity, regional cooperation, and transparent engagement.
Recommendations
- VicGrid to establish a program of initiatives to equip local councils and local organisations with resources and information to fully participate in the shift to renewable energy.
- The Victorian Government should support - directly through resourcing and through the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council - Local Energy Hubs to be established in key Victorian regions.
- VicGrid, through partnerships with local organisations and communities, should work to deepen engagement through locally led discussions and planning.
- Ensure the Victorian Access Regime empowers communities to have local agency and participate in decisions over community benefit governance and decision-making (including assessment and evaluation).
- Introduce mechanisms in the Victorian Access Regime that can help facilitate regional benefits, to unlock locally led cumulative and strategic benefits.
- Introduce expectations in the Victorian Access Regime that helps proponents co-operate to reduce cumulative impacts.
- The Victorian Government should resource public communication and engagement to improve public understanding of, and confidence in, the delivery of the key energy infrastructure upgrades, including transmission lines, required to facilitate the shift to renewable energy and meet our climate and energy targets.
- The Victorian Government should assign VicGrid to act as the state’s central authority on the shift to renewables, leading a whole-of-government program with dedicated investment in resourcing for community information provision and issue responses, with a local presence in the regions.
- VicGrid should review the Victorian Access Regime periodically to ensure it complements other relevant frameworks and to provide opportunities for it to be strengthened by feedback from the public.
- VicGrid must address gaps in the draft Community Engagement and Social Value Guidelines for Renewable Energy and Transmission Projects regarding First Nations engagement, by referencing Free, Prior and Informed Consent and implementing the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy.
- Co-ownership, co-financing, and activities that enhance community agency, should be promoted by weighting these approaches higher in project assessment.
- The final Community Engagement and Social Value Guidelines for Renewable Energy and Transmission Projects should maintain flexibility in access agreements to allow for community-led iterative change, especially to achieve long-term regional benefits, while ensuring guaranteed benefits.
- VicGrid should develop a minimum value per MW for each technology type, indexed to CPI, that is consistent with or better than current national practice. This amount should recognise other already legislated Renewable Energy Zone access fees.
- VicGrid should adopt best-practice quantification for social value and economic benefits, that prioritises local needs and permits pooled legacy funding.
- VicGrid should initiate a dialogue with ASL for advice on incorporating assessment, monitoring and compliance into the Victorian Access Regime expectations.
- VicGrid should change the remit of Renewable Energy Zone regional community reference groups to include monitoring and compliance.