South Gippsland and Wellington Shire Councils have delivered a clear message to Australia's Energy Infrastructure Commissioner: local ratepayers should not be left to foot the bill for the region's renewable energy transition.
Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Tony Mahar visited Gippsland for a joint meeting in Sale, hosted at Wellington Council chambers, giving councillors from both shires the opportunity to raise their concerns directly with the independent federal role created to make the shift to renewable energy smoother and fairer for communities hosting it.
The visit was arranged at the invitation of South Gippsland Councillor Sarah Gilligan, who described the day as productive. "After a full day with Tony in the Wellington Council chambers I was energised by how we collaborated and articulated a compelling shared story to take back to the Federal Government," she said. "Our seat at the table is non-negotiable. The conversations and outcomes were in proportion with the challenges, huge but not insurmountable, with plenty of gold."
Gilligan noted that South Gippsland Shire Council has maintained in-principle support for the region's three major energy transition projects, oil and gas decommissioning, Marinus Link and offshore wind, over four years, with ongoing caveats around environmental and agricultural protection and community benefits. The key challenge, she said, was ensuring the region has the planning and investment needed to flex with workforce surges and settle into sustainable long-term growth.
Mayor Nathan Hersey said the meeting gave Council a meaningful opportunity to be heard at the national level. "Our councils recognise that new energy development is coming to our region as a result of state and federal government policy decisions. However, local communities and ratepayers cannot reasonably be expected to carry the cost of providing the additional infrastructure and services needed to support these projects. With the expectation of a new industry also comes the expectation from our community that we will be financially supported to see benefits, not only now, but into the future."
Commissioner Mahar told councillors that the concerns being raised in Gippsland were consistent with what he was hearing from communities across the country: calls for genuine engagement, clear information about planning and approval processes, and confidence that host communities would not bear unfair costs.
"I congratulate the South Gippsland and Wellington Shire Councils for their collaborative and proactive approach, which will allow them to shape good outcomes for their regions," he said.
In addition to the joint council meeting, the Commissioner met separately with renewable energy proponents and other government representatives to hear a range of perspectives on Gippsland's energy transition. Cara Schultz
