SYDNEY, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Renewable energy projects in the Australian state of Victoria are expected to have a faster approval process after a new policy was unveiled on Thursday.
Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan announced that renewable energy projects will be eligible for an accelerated planning pathway under the state's Development Facilitation Program.
"We will cut the red tape holding back projects that provide stronger, cheaper power for Victorians," said Allan.
"The current system means that important projects can be tied up for years seeking approval. It delays construction and deters investment, and instead of spinning turbines, we're too often left spinning our wheels," the state premier added.
Data from authorities indicated that since 2015, more than one in five applications for renewable energy projects have ended up being stuck on a shelf without being built.
Currently, these projects have around 90 billion Australian dollars (about 59.6 billion U.S. dollars) worth of investment value, expected to create 15,000 jobs statewide.
According to the state government, all new projects will be treated as significant to economic development, and exempted from the planning panel process and third-party appeals at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
In addition, those projects currently stuck in approval processes will also be able to access the express lane.
"Victoria's old coal-fired generators are closing and the cost of fossil fuels are rising globally, and streamlining planning approvals for the cheapest form of new build power generation is so important," said Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio. ■
