- Published:
- Friday 12 June 2026 at 12:00 pm
Labor is setting clear expectations for how renewable energy developers engage and deliver benefits for communities.
Minister D’Ambrosio today released the Community Engagement and Social Value Guidelines which sets out expectations of renewable energy project developers to engage early and meaningfully with landholders, neighbours and communities and demonstrate how feedback is incorporated into the final project design.
The guidelines also set out expectations on how developers support local economic investment, deliver community benefits and put in place clear processes for complaints and dispute resolution.
The transition to renewable energy is expected to deliver major benefits for regional communities, with up to $2.3 billion in direct financial benefits from renewable and transmission projects over the next 25 years in Victoria.
Regional communities will see benefits in the short term, with about $75 million in individual project benefits expected to flow to communities over the next 12 months from both transmission and renewable energy.
Renewable energy development will also provide significant opportunities to local businesses and economies, with Victoria’s energy sector projected to need about 68,000 workers by 2040.
An update on the Victorian Access Regime will be released soon – this will ensure better coordination of renewable energy and transmission projects and make sure renewable projects deliver benefits to communities.
Once in operation, all projects applying for access to the grid must meet the new Community Engagement and Social Value Guidelines.
Only Labor will invest in the renewable energy needed to keep the lights on and power bills down, while also ensuring host communes share in the benefits.
Jess Wilson’s Liberals and Nationals want to block renewable energy projects, putting thousands of regional jobs at risk, while stripping billions of dollars out of regional economies and direct community benefits.
For more information visit, vicgrid.com.au..
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio
“We’re making sure that communities get direct benefits from the projects they host.”
“Supporting the renewable transition not only means lower power bills for Victorians but thousands of regional jobs and billions of dollars of investment and community benefits.”