Location: Gippsland, approximately 85km corridor between Giffard and Hazelwood Terminal Station, Hazelwood North OR approximately 70km between Stradbroke and Hazelwood Terminal Station, Hazelwood North.
Project overview
After extensive desktop work, in 2022 AusNet identified a corridor of approximately 85km between Giffard in the Wellington Shire and the Hazelwood Terminal Station in Latrobe City, to develop new transmission infrastructure to connect locally produced renewable energy to the grid. The project was known as the Gippsland Renewable Energy Zone transmission project (G-REZ).
At the time, there was significant interest in developing renewable energy projects (both onshore and offshore) in Gippsland, however there was no transmission connection infrastructure east of Loy Yang in the Latrobe Valley to connect these projects into the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Since then, the interest in developing renewable energy within the region has only continued to grow, with Gippsland declared Australia’s first offshore wind zone by the Federal Government, along with interest from several onshore renewable energy proponents.
Over the following years, AusNet continued to refine its preferred route for the G-REZ project based on discussions with landowners proposed to host infrastructure, nearby neighbours, Traditional Owners, local government and other key stakeholders. This included making significant adjustments to the preferred route near the Loy Yang Mine and identifying an alternative site to develop a terminal station at Stradbroke.
In 2021, The Victorian Government established VicGrid to coordinate the planning and development of Victoria’s Renewable Energy Zones. This included identifying a preferred corridor to develop new transmission infrastructure in Gippsland to provide a connection to the grid for offshore wind proponents. AusNet continued to develop the G-REZ project while VicGrid worked to identify its study area for new transmission infrastructure within Gippsland.
In March 2024, VicGrid released its study area for new transmission in Gippsland, which largely did not overlap with the preferred route identified by AusNet for G-REZ. Given this, AusNet made the decision not to continue developing the G-REZ project independently of VicGrid.
AusNet would like to thank all those stakeholders that openly and honestly engaged with us as part of the development of the G-REZ project, particularly those landowners proposed to host transmission infrastructure. Your insights and feedback were critical in shaping the project, including making adjustments to our preferred route.
AusNet supports the role of VicGrid in coordinating the development of new transmission infrastructure in Victoria.
Need more information?
For more information or if you have any questions about G-REZ please email info@grez.com.au