THE Victorian government has approved a planning permit for Mint Renewables' proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) on 9.5 hectares of private land two kilometres northwest of Dederang township.
Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny, confirmed approval on 5 June, saying the 400MWh BESS project will have the capacity to power 69,000 homes during times of high demand and create 150 jobs during construction.
Minister Kilkenny said the approval, through the Development Facilitation Program (DFP), is part of the government's commitment to fast-track cheaper and cleaner energy projects to deliver cheaper energy prices to Victorians, while helping meet the state's renewable energy targets and deliver $9.5 billion in economic activity statewide.
She said project approval followed consultation with neighbouring property owners and relevant government agencies including the Country Fire Authority, Agriculture Victoria, DEECA and local water authorities.
Mint Renewables' interim head of Australia, Kim van Hattum, said the company was pleased to gain approval for the Dederang BESS project, which will "store energy and deliver it back to the grid when its needed most."
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"Using BESS to smooth out the peaks and troughs in electricity supply will help ensure Australia’s electricity system is reliable and cost effective," he said.
“There is still a lot of work to do prior to the construction of the project.
“We remain committed to community engagement and will continue to work hard to reassure the community and the authorities that our project can co-exist safely and provide benefits to the local area and Australia more widely.
“We hope that by continuing to be open about what we’re planning, some of the concerns held by community members can be alleviated.
“We thank those who have taken the time to participate in the planning permit application process and hope to further those relationships.”
Ministerial approval follows a public process which drew hundreds of objections for the community, including Alpine Shire Council which said the positioning of the project wasn't right and cited insufficient information, impact on significant landscape, loss of agricultural land, bushfire risk, impact on waterways, impact on community and environment, and economic benefits as grounds for its opposition.
Nationals MP for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, who was a steadfast opponent to the proposal, said ministerial approval for the "divisive and destructive Dederang BESS" amounted to "a stake driven right through the very heart of the Kiewa Valley".
"This was never consultation with a community, but a betrayal of the salt of the earth, hardworking, food producers that build our nation each and every day," he said.
"This is a bad proposal, opposed by council, community, and most importantly, the people it will affect the most, neighbours.
"Despite hundreds of objections, thousands of petitioners, and a campaign to keep Dederang BESS free, money won out over the people."
Alpine Observer/Myrtleford Times contacted Alpine Shire Council and Friends of the Kiewa and Alpine Valleys Inc - which had led vocal opposition to the BESS projects for more than a year - but both declined to comment at this stage.
