We’ll formalise boundaries for regional cities and towns to stop unchecked expansion into agricultural areas.
In line with the Victorian Transmission Plan 2025, we’ll recognise the land preferred for renewable energy transmission infrastructure in planning schemes. Doing so will make it easier for everyone to know where new energy infrastructure is best located, while ensuring that we have enough energy to keep the lights on and power bills low.
We’ll also make the planning changes needed to provide a more certain path for the development of critical minerals – metal and nonmetal resources essential for renewable energy infrastructure, modern computing and emerging technologies – in line with the Victorian Critical Minerals Roadmap.
We’ll explore supplying recycled water to increase agricultural production in peri-urban agricultural areas where feasible.
Regional and rural Victoria are important parts of our economy, especially food and fibre, tourism, manufacturing and natural resources industries.
Agricultural production contributes greatly to Victoria’s economic prosperity and long-term food security, and irrigation infrastructure and irrigation districts are vital for agriculture. We must prevent the loss of high-quality, productive agricultural land so the agriculture industry can continue to grow, provide jobs and feed our communities. Urban expansion often increases land-use conflicts between urbanites and agricultural producers and diminishes their productivity.
Regional and rural Victoria will also continue to be central to Victoria’s renewable energy transition. Likewise, the production of critical minerals is an essential step in the transition to a net-zero economy.
We must carefully manage regional values for the benefit of future generations, but we can’t manage these values if we don’t identify and protect them.
Page last updated: 28/02/25
