Renewable energy approval pathway

The Tasmanian Government has committed to upgrading the approval pathway for major renewable energy projects as an outcome of work completed under the Government’s Renewable Energy Coordination Framework (RECF).

The Renewable Energy Approval Pathway (REAP) is a suite of actions that will support projects, such as wind farms and transmission lines, entering the Major Projects assessment process under the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993 (LUPAA).

The REAP is an important step towards improving the regulatory outcomes to support renewable investment and align with community expectations. It will help  achieve the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Target (TRET) and renewable energy powerhouse vision.

The REAP has been identified as an outcome of a Renewable Energy Assessment Process Review, an action of the Government’s RECF.  The Review complements other actions underway within the Environmental Pillar of the RECF, such as mapping the State’s renewable resource areas and the development of Community Engagement, Benefit Sharing and Local Procurement Guidelines (Guidelines).

The Renewable Energy Assessment Process Review was undertaken by ReCFIT to:

• Identify issues and gaps under the existing assessment framework for primary planning and environmental assessment.
• Identify opportunities for greater coordination in assessment processes.
• Identify options for assessment pathways in Renewable Energy Zones (REZs).

The Review focused on large-scale projects important to the achievement of the TRET and AEMO’s optimal development plan under the ISP, being wind farms and large solar farms connected to the grid.  This involved an understanding of the current state of play, mapping the existing assessment processes, and engaging with key stakeholders to identify where the system is either not working as intended or could be improved.

In response to the Review, improvement options were developed in consultation with Government agencies. Regulators such as the Environment Protection Authority, Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania and the Tasmanian Planning Commission were briefed during this process.

Components of the REAP include:

• Establish a Major Renewable Energy Project case management function in State Government, composed of a dedicated case management officer for each project in ReCFIT and a cross agency team to facilitate a more integrated and coordinated pre-assessment process.
• Provide for the development of sector specific renewable energy information requirement guidelines for the Major Projects process.
• More resourcing for regulatory agencies including the Tasmanian Planning Commission, Environment Protection Agency and Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania.
• Coordinated pre assessment process, including consideration of the Reserve Activity Assessment and related assessment processes, in parallel to the Major Projects process.

Other options committed to, that will complement and support the establishment and ongoing operation of the REAP include:

• Progress, as a matter of priority, bilateral assessment agreements with the Australian Government for the Major Projects assessment pathway and explore improvement of other protocols between the Governments to address current delays and inconsistent advice.
• Establish a guideline on community benefit schemes specific to Tasmania (underway) and identify a benefit funding model that provides greater certainty to regional communities and earlier realisation of benefits.
• Respond to recommendations from the Future of Local Government Review.

Implementation of the REAP will require amendments to LUPAA, to enable the use of this process for major renewable energy projects.

Utilising the Major Projects assessment process will not reduce, dilute or remove any of the existing robust assessments of land use, heritage, Aboriginal heritage, environmental, threatened species and infrastructure requirements. The REAP initiatives will provide certainty and clarity for proponents, Government agencies and the community in submitting, processing and reviewing renewable energy project applications.

Major Projects is a more contemporary assessment process that has been designed to align with community expectations of project assessment. Opportunity for public involvement will continue to be provided through consultation and exhibition processes as well as public hearings.

Further updates on the REAP will be made available on this website.