Greater Shepparton City Council is seeking greater clarity following VicGrid's announcement that the Central North Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) will remain subject to further consultation and has not yet progressed to declaration.
VicGrid confirmed the Central North REZ, which includes parts of Greater Shepparton such as Dookie, Pine Lodge and Cosgrove, has not yet been through the consultation process on draft REZ orders and its boundaries have not been defined.
While Council acknowledges the positive update, significant questions remain about what the next stage of the process will involve and how much influence local communities will have over the final outcome.
"VicGrid has confirmed the Central North Renewable Energy Zone is still in a consultation phase which is positive news, however there is still a lack of detail around what happens next and how community feedback will be used. Our community has engaged in good faith and has been clear about the importance of being heard on this issue," Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali said.
"The community has already provided strong feedback, particularly in Dookie, and they deserve to understand whether that feedback can lead to meaningful change."
A review, commissioned by Council and undertaken by Sequana late last year, found the Central North REZ boundaries included some of Victoria's most productive cropping land. Sequana undertook community and stakeholder engagement to inform the review, with landholders expressing strong concern around the loss of productive farmland, landscape change, and perceived inequities in benefit distribution.
VicGrid has stated it received strong feedback during recent community sessions in Dookie in May and will consider these submissions as part of its decision-making process. However, it remains unclear how this feedback will be reflected in any future decisions.
"There is a clear acknowledgement that more work needs to be done to get this right for our community. Our residents and landholders deserve to be properly consulted before any decisions are made," Cr Sali said.
"Our message has been strong and consistent - decisions of this scale cannot be rushed, and they must not come at the expense of our community or our productive agricultural land."
Deputy Mayor and Pine Lodge Ward Councillor, Cr Geoff Akers, said Council would continue to advocate for a transparent, meaningful, community-focused process.
"Community advocacy is making a difference. We will continue to push for a process that puts people first, not timelines," he said.
"Now is the time for our community to stay engaged, ask questions and make their voices heard because no final decision has been made."
Council will continue to keep the community informed of any future consultation opportunities. Residents are encouraged to stay informed and actively participate in any upcoming consultations to help shape the future of renewable energy development in the Central North region.
"Council will continue to advocate for a process that ensures genuine community influence and keeps local interests at the forefront of decision making," Cr Sali said.
