General News
19 August, 2025
Councils slam shock expansion of Victorian transmission zones
The weekend release of the updated 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan caught councils and communities off guard. Still, VicGrid's statement says the announcement would deliver certainty and fairness for communities and industry as coal-fired power closes down.
VicGrid released the long-term strategic plan for the development of Victoria's renewable energy zones on August 17.
Mayors across the Wimmera have spoken out with outrage and deep disappointment, saying they feel blindsided by the announcement.
Horsham Rural City Council mayor Ian Ross said the announcement felt like "it has been done to us, not with us" on hearing of the weekend announcement.
Yarriambiack Shire Council mayor Kylie Zanker said the community feels completely blindsided by this change.
"As a council, we have taken the high ground, been respectful, we have reached out and consulted and tried to get the government to understand the impact that both mining and renewable energy are having on our Shire, but our respectful engagement has got us nowhere,” she said.
However, the spokesperson for VicGrid said, the 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan had been developed through extensive consultation, and it set out the transmission infrastructure needed to build over the next 15 years and to deliver reliable and affordable energy to Victorian homes and businesses.
"The plan proposes the creation of six renewable energy zones (REZs) that signal to the community, landholders and industry, where wind and solar projects, and batteries for storage, should be developed," the spokesperson said.
The statement also claimed that in response to feedback following the release of the draft Victorian Transmission Plan in May, VicGrid had adjusted the size and shape of renewable energy zones and refined some of its transmission projects.
"Some areas have been removed from or added to zones, and new separate sections have been added in the South West REZ and Central North REZ,” the spokesperson said.
"The Wimmera Mallee REZ has been expanded to allow for an increased number of projects currently in development and will now join the Grampians Wimmera REZ as one Western REZ, despite not being physically connected."
SUBHEAD: outrage at new energy plan
A HRCC spokesperson said the council acknowledged the changes made to the previous REZ north of Horsham, but while the weekend announcement shows it has been pushed further north of the municipality, it has tripled in size.
"This indicates there will be significantly more energy projects planned for the region than previously stated,” they said.
"Horsham is a regional centre and will be greatly impacted by this proposal."
The spokesperson said HRCC concerns included the availability of services that workers for these projects would require, which were more suited to a regional centre than a rural setting.
The increase in vehicle and heavy vehicle traffic on rural roads, resulting in increased pressure to keep these roads in acceptable and safe condition, was also a concern of HRCC.
"The state government is moving towards a broader Wimmera Mallee transition from an agricultural culture to an energy culture, including transmission, solar, wind, and critical minerals," they said.
"Where are the benefits for our community?
"VicGrid and the Victorian Government have a responsibility to make sure no community is left behind.
"They also don't give details of the community benefits related to these projects, and that is the piece of work HRCC is waiting to see: how these projects will benefit our community."
The spokesperson noted the renewable projects were planned for rural Victoria, not the state’s capital.
"All renewable projects are planned in the state's rural regions, not in Melbourne or the surf coast of the state," they said.
"The rural community is doing the heavy lifting for the government by taking the impact of renewable programs, and local government deserves a seat at the table rather than being told what we should have."
The HRCC spokesperson said while the council supported VicGrid in a just and inclusive sustainable energy transition, it was essential for those most directly impacted to be a part of the plan.
Cr Zanker said she and her fellow councillors were outraged at the REZ expansion, which now saw the footprint expanded with no clear picture regarding the gigawatt capacity.
"I feel broken and extremely disheartened, and feel for my fellow Councillors, who have also consoled many residents, believing that our region was oversubscribed with prospectors, which was reflected in the draft VTP,” she said.
The Mayor said her council wanted to know how Vic Grid could get it so wrong.
"This government is about taking from our communities and giving nothing in return," she said.
"The government gave us a false sense of security and then threw us a hand grenade. We are the people on the ground, having to pick up the pieces of a broken community.
"Our rural communities are the backbone of this state, and this is how we are repaid."
Meanwhile, neighbouring Buloke Shire Council expressed deep disappointment with the State Government's handling of the major expansion to the zones, which now pushes significantly into Buloke communities.
The major extension of the Grampians-Wimmera REZ now extends into Buloke's west near Curyo and Wilkur, and the North West REZ has shifted closer to the north-east of Charlton.
"When a change of this scale is introduced with little-to-no warning, it doesn't just raise concerns, it has significant impacts on our community," said Buloke Shire Council mayor Alan Getley.
"Council objects to VNI West in its current form. We remain firmly aligned with our community and have called on the state government to engage genuinely and constructively with our community and council.
"This announcement from VicGrid further diminishes trust in the state from our community.
"We were given little time to understand the full impact. We know that people will be upset, and so are we."
The mayor went on to say that it was one thing to shift the goalposts, but this felt like moving the entire field, handing the rulebook to one team (renewable energy companies) and leaving the other team, the community, in the dark.
He acknowledged that some local landholders had chosen to participate in renewable energy projects and encouraged everyone to share their views respectfully.
SUBHEAD: VicGrid defends plan
VicGrid Chief Executive Alistair Parker said VicGrid had carefully considered all the feedback it received from the community, regional stakeholders, Traditional Owners, and the agriculture and energy industries in preparing the plan.
"The Victorian Transmission Plan will ensure an orderly energy transition and has been designed through consultation to minimise impacts on landholders, regional communities, and crucial regional industries like agriculture," he said.
"VicGrid has worked hard to balance a range of factors as we make difficult decisions about where energy infrastructure is needed to deliver reliable and affordable power to Victorian homes, businesses and industry."
VicGrid claimed in the announcement that the development of new renewable energy and transmission capacity would create 67,000 jobs by 2040, support new industries, and create a foundation for our state's economic prosperity.
It also claimed that not implementing the plan would prevent new cheap renewables from being connected, which would push up energy prices, put Victoria's energy security at risk, and cost the economy $9.6 billion over the next 30 years.
Mr Parker said feedback from communities and regional stakeholders about sensitive areas, including new information about brolga habitats and irrigated agricultural land, has resulted in several areas being removed from the renewable energy zones.
"There was also clear feedback from industry stakeholders about the size of zones.
"Industry stakeholders consistently told us the size of zones and the amount of energy generated from each zone needed to be at a level that enabled the development of technically and commercially viable renewable projects," he said.
The area covered by proposed renewable energy zones in the 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan takes up about 7.9% of Victorian land.
Less than one per cent of land will be needed to host physical infrastructure like wind turbines, solar panels and access roads.
Landholders, communities, and Traditional Owners within zones will soon have another opportunity to provide feedback and seek more information through a six-week consultation process to formally declare renewable energy zones.