North West Renewable Energy Zone

What is a renewable energy zone?

Renewable energy zones are areas identified as the best places to host wind, solar and battery storage projects and are central to our transition away from coal to renewable energy.

Renewable energy zones will:

• help coordinate renewable energy projects and reduce the need for unnecessary transmission infrastructure
• enable VicGrid to set clearer rules around how projects gain access to the grid, including expectations for how developers engage with communities
• provide more certainty about how and where renewable energy projects are developed
• unlock new economic benefits for regional communities and Traditional Owners.

Where is the North West Renewable Energy Zone?

The declared North West Renewable Energy Zone includes parts of the Swan Hill, Gannawarra, Loddon and Buloke local government areas.

It is within the Registered Aboriginal Party boundaries of Wamba Wemba Aboriginal Corporation, Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation and across areas of Country to the east that do not have a formally recognised Traditional Owner group.

When identifying this zone, we aimed to carefully balance community concerns about the potential impacts of uncoordinated widespread development with developer interest and the pressing need to position renewable energy zones with access to strong wind and solar energy and near existing transmission lines.

This zone will help contain development and coordinate connections to the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) project and existing lines, and ensure regional benefits are delivered to those experiencing the impacts of infrastructure development.

View the REZ Orders and Statement of Reasons from the Minister for Energy and Resources at DEECA Energy.

To learn more, read the North West Renewable Energy Zone factsheet.

Map of the North West Renewable Energy Zone

Visit our online interactive map to see the renewable energy zones in more detail.

How did feedback shape the North West Renewable Energy Zone?

To shape the North West Renewable Energy Zone we undertook engagement as part of the 2025 Victorian Transmission plan development, commencing in 2023 and delivered across multiple consultation phases.

Further engagement was then carried out as part of the renewable energy zone declaration process, between November 2025 and March 2026.

What we did in response to feedback:

• avoided irrigated farmland along the Murray River
• positioned the proposed renewable energy zone along an existing 220 kilovolt (kV) line
• avoided areas of high environmental value, including rivers, lakes, wetland systems, parks and reserves, particularly near the Murray River, Koorangie Wildlife Reserve and Korrak Korrak Nature Conservation Reserve
• sized and located the proposed zone to balance developer interest and community concerns
• added a small expansion south-west along the VNI West corridor providing more options for future energy generation projects to connect to VNI West
• removed Leaghur State Park and Lake Meran from the zone
• made no changes in response to requests for boundaries to be adjusted for specific projects or landholdings.

The renewable energy zone order reflects a zone wide strategic planning decision rather than an assessment of individual sites or projects.

You can read a summary report of engagement activities, timing and the outcomes in the What we heard – REZ consultation report.

What will it be like living in a renewable energy zone?

If you live in or near a renewable energy zone, over time you will see more development of renewable energy generation and storage such as wind farms, solar farms and batteries. It is important to note that only a small proportion of land within the zone will be used for these projects.

VicGrid will work with developers to coordinate new development and associated transmission to minimise impacts on landscapes and the environment.

All proposed projects will continue to be subject to existing planning and environmental controls, including approval processes under the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and Environment Effects Act 1978.

How will decisions about new renewable energy projects be made in the North West Renewable Energy Zone?

The Victorian Government is setting new rules to manage how renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar farms, gain access to the state’s transmission network.

Under the current open access regime, developers can connect their projects almost anywhere on the transmission network, as long as they meet technical and environmental planning requirements.

Under the new approach, known as the Victorian Access Regime, developers will apply for access and VicGrid will oversee a competitive process to decide which projects can connect within each zone.

Each zone will have a set limit on how much new renewable energy can be connected. We are proposing to set access limits that reflect how much electricity the network can carry at a given time, based on current infrastructure and planned upgrades.

In determining how much of the access limit is allocated, we will consider:

• the amount of electricity Victoria needs to generate to meet increasing demand
• the size of the zone and the density of projects
• whether developers are meeting expectations for landholder, community and Traditional Owner engagement and adding social value through initiatives and economic development.

This process will ensure Victoria produces enough energy to meet demand, while minimising the impact on communities, Traditional Owners, agriculture and the environment.

Page last updated: 15/06/26