Cultural Heritage Management Plans will be prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 to investigate the potential impacts to Aboriginal cultural heritage and identify how heritage can be best protected. This is done with Traditional Owners groups, Registered Aboriginal Parties and First Peoples - State Relations.
State and Commonwealth approvals required for the project.
Other approvals
State approvals
Secondary State approvals required include, but are not limited to:
- Permit to remove protected flora under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
- Permit to relocate wildlife under the Wildlife Act 1975.
- Permit to work within or over waterways under the Water Act 1989.
Decisions about whether to grant these approvals may only be made after the respective decision-makers have considered the Minister’s assessment, which is the final outcome of the Environment Effects Statement (EES) process.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act
Commonwealth approval
The Commonwealth Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water confirmed the project is a ‘controlled action’ and will require assessment and approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. The Commonwealth determined that it will use the bilateral assessment agreement and rely on the Victorian Government’s assessment process (the EES) to inform an approval decision under the EPBC Act 1999.
The Western Renewables Link has been included on the National Renewable Energy Priority List, a Commonwealth initiative developed in collaboration with states and territories. The list identifies projects that have the potential to significantly boost Australia’s renewable energy supply and aims to provide coordinated support through required regulatory and approval pathways. The Priority List is updated regularly and made public to ensure transparency.
