General News
25 September, 2024
Shire to hire officer for renewables
Northern Grampians Shire Council will invest significant resources in employing an officer to handle an influx of renewable energy proposals in the municipality.
At this month’s council meeting, councillors voted to allocate $300,000 from the shire's development reserve to fund a role dedicated to responding to the needs of statutory authorities and stakeholders.
The move is designed to help strike a balance between taking advantage of potential opportunities and protecting the community.
Council chief executive Brent McAlister said with several renewable energy developments and transmission line proposals on the horizon it was crucial that council was equipped to handle the projects’ complexities.
"We are currently witnessing 10 transmission or renewable projects in various stages, with only five approved so far,” Mr McAlister said.
He said the $300,000 was a one-off, two-year allocation designed to help address these challenges effectively without placing further burden on ratepayers.