Two renewable energy projects being developed by Tilt Renewables have been identified by the federal government as priority renewable energy projects for the nation.
Tilt Renewables proposed 1332MW Liverpool Range wind farm in NSW and the proposed 108MW Waddi wind farm in WA have both been included on the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s inaugural National Renewable Energy Priority List.
Projects which win a place on the prestigious national priority list stand to gain significant regulatory support as they manoeuvre through the approvals process.
Tilt Renewables CEO Anthony Fowler said the inclusion of two Tilt Renewables projects on the national priority list of renewable energy projects was a ringing endorsement of the company’s development pipeline and strategic direction.
“Tilt Renewables is proud to have two projects included on this important list because quite frankly it shows that we’re headed in the right direction,” Mr Fowler said.
“This validates our vision and our commitment to industry-leading projects that will help Australia achieve a clean energy future that is prosperous, modern and fit for purpose for communities and for business and industry.
“To be included on this list shows that we are truly making a major contribution to Australia’s clean energy future. We already have a serious portfolio of operating renewable energy projects and both Liverpool Range and Waddi will be fantastic additions to the Tilt Renewables line up.”
Projects on the Priority List may receive enhanced regulatory support under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) including:
- Priority validation in referrals gateway.
- Dedicated EPBC case manager through each project’s lifecycle.
- Immediate review of assessment documents.
- Expert line area prioritisation within the department.
- Targeted support will be negotiated with project proponents based on their status in the regulatory pathway. In some cases, this may be supplemented by support from state and territory regulators, and complementary programs (at both levels of government).
The Commonwealth support provided to projects on the Priority List is additional to the usual support provided through the existing regulatory process. All projects must continue to meet their obligations under the EPBC Act and all other statutory requirements.
The Priority List combines a data-driven model with qualitative input to identify jurisdictional priority transmission, generation and storage projects. These projects, if delivered, support progress towards 82% renewable electricity by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050.
The Australian Government is providing $134.2 million to prioritise assessment and approval decisions for renewable energy projects of national significance, and support faster decisions on environment, cultural heritage and planning approvals.
This includes funding to accelerate assessments for priority projects and extra research into nationally protected matters like threatened species, so environmentally sensitive areas can be more easily avoided and suitable projects can be more quickly approved based on robust, publicly available data.
The Priority List will support these efforts by identifying renewable energy projects across Australia that both the Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments will provide additional regulatory support.
