The Allan Labor Government has taken a major step towards delivering the biggest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere.
Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny has signed off on the Environment Effects Statement (EES) for the Warracknabeal Energy Park - marking the most significant milestone in the state approvals process.
Once complete, the 219-turbine wind farm would deliver more than 1.5 gigawatts of renewable energy - enough to power up to 1.2 million homes.
The project would become the highest producing wind facility in Victoria and generate around 12.5 per cent of the entire state's future energy needs.
The project is expected to create almost 950 jobs during construction, with ongoing local jobs once operational.
The Warracknabeal Energy Park has gone through Victoria's rigorous EES process, including technical studies, community consultation and a public inquiry.
Further approvals are still required before a final decision is made, including Commonwealth approval under national environmental laws.
Projects like this are critical to delivering Victoria's nation-leading renewable energy targets of 65 per cent by 2030 and 95 per cent by 2035.
Only Labor is getting on with building the renewable energy projects needed to keep power bills down and secure Victoria's energy future.
As stated by Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny
"This is a major step towards delivering the biggest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere, right here in Victoria."
"This rigorous EES process has shown this project can go ahead while meeting Victoria's environmental standards."
As stated by Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio
"This project would be a massive boost to Victoria's renewable energy capacity - powering more than one million homes with cheaper, cleaner energy."
"The Liberals want to cut renewable energy projects like this - that means cutting jobs and pushing power bills up."
