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Harriet Shing MP:
Renewable energy zones to accelerate jobs and investment

Development of Renewable Energy Zones to create projects to benefit the state’s community.

By Portal Admin - 19th February 2021 - Back to News

Six Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) across regional Victoria will accelerate a wave of jobs and investment. Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing today announced that Gippsland will be one of six Renewable Energy Zones that will benefit from the Victorian Government’s $540 million REZ Development Plan. The Plan includes the creation of VicGrid, which will coordinate investments and engage with local communities.

Large scale renewable energy

The $540 million investment was part of the record $1.6 billion clean energy package included in the recent Victorian State Budget. The development of the six REZs will accelerate Victoria’s transition to clean energy and maintain the state’s leading position for renewable energy jobs and investment.

The development of the REZs will potentially enable Victoria to reach 16 gigawatts of large-scale renewable energy capacity by 2040 – more than tripling the State’s existing amount. This will create a pipeline of projects in regional Victoria, delivering thousands of jobs and significant economic benefits. To ensure that the Gippsland community benefits directly, VicGrid will engage deeply with local councils, community groups and Traditional Owners.

Phases of the REZ Development Plan

The first phase of the REZ Development Plan is the release of a Directions Paper that will identify possible projects for development, followed by the publication of a REZ Development Plan in July that will establish how VicGrid will engage and work with local governments, communities and businesses.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said, "Renewable energy creates jobs. Construction jobs, engineering jobs and management jobs. As Victoria works to rebuild and be stronger than ever before, renewable energy will be at the heart of our economy and jobs creation. VicGrid will be a major game changer for the way renewable energy works in Victoria. It will see the benefits – from jobs to reliability – spread evenly across our state."

Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said, "The Renewable Energy Zone Development Plan will bring investment and jobs to our region, but we must ensure that our community, including Traditional Owners, are a real part of the process. That is why I’m pleased to see the creation of VicGrid to facilitate that engagement."

For further information and to access the Plan, go to renewable energy.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: support@gippsland.com

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