Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 (No. 56 of 2017)

1 Purposes 1

2 Commencement 1

3 Definitions 1

4 Declared renewable energy sources 2

5 Objects 2

6 Crown to be bound 3 Part 2—Renewable energy targets and capacity determinations 4

7 Renewable energy targets 4

8 Minister to report to the Parliament annually on progress 4

9 Capacity determinations 5 Part 3—General 6

10 Regulations 6 ═══════════════ Endnotes 7

1 General information 7

2 Table of Amendments 9

3 Amendments Not in Operation 10

4 Explanatory details 11 Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel i Section Page Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel ii Authorised Version No. 002 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Authorised Version incorporating amendments as at

13 August 2020 The Parliament of Victoria enacts: Part 1—Preliminary

1 Purposes The main purposes of this Act are— (a) to establish renewable energy targets for Victoria; and (b) to support schemes to achieve targets under this Act and to encourage investment and employment in Victoria.

2 Commencement (1) Subject to subsection (2), this Act comes into operation on a day or days to be proclaimed. (2) If a provision of this Act does not come into operation before 1 June 2018, it comes into operation on that day.

3 Definitions In this Act— large-scale facility means a generation facility that has a generation capacity of more than 100 kilowatts; Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 1 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Part 1—Preliminary S. 3 def. of renewable energy source means any of the renewable following energy sources— energy source amended by (a) solar; No. 42/2019 s. 2A. (b) wind; (ba) hydro; (c) an energy source declared by the Minister under section 4; renewable energy target means a renewable energy target set out in section 7.

4 Declared renewable energy sources The Minister, by notice published in the Government Gazette, may declare an energy source other than a prescribed source to be a renewable energy source for the purposes of this Act.

5 Objects The objects of this Act are— (a) to increase the proportion of Victoria's electricity generated by means of large-scale facilities that utilise renewable energy sources or convert renewable energy sources into electricity; and (b) to contribute to achieving the renewable energy targets; and (c) to support the development of projects and initiatives to encourage investment, employment and technology development in Victoria in relation to renewable electricity generation; and (d) to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Victoria and to achieve associated environmental and social benefits; and Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 2 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Part 1—Preliminary (e) to promote the transition of Victoria to a clean energy economy; and (f) to contribute to the security of electricity supply in Victoria.

6 Crown to be bound This Act binds the Crown, not only in right of Victoria but also, so far as the legislative power of the Parliament permits, the Crown in all its other capacities. Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 3 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Part 2—Renewable energy targets and capacity determinations Part 2—Renewable energy targets and capacity determinations

7 Renewable energy targets The renewable energy targets are— (a) by 2020, for 25% of electricity generated in Victoria to be generated by means of facilities that generate electricity by utilising renewable energy sources or converting renewable energy sources into electricity; and S. 7(b) (b) by 2025, for 40% of electricity generated amended by No. 42/2019 in Victoria to be generated by means of s. 3(1). facilities that generate electricity by utilising renewable energy sources or converting renewable energy sources into electricity; and S. 7(c) (c) by 2030, for 50% of electricity generated in inserted by No. 42/2019 Victoria to be generated by means of s. 3(2). facilities that generate electricity by utilising renewable energy sources or converting renewable energy sources into electricity.

8 Minister to report to the Parliament annually on progress (1) The Minister must report to the Parliament for each financial year on— (a) the progress made towards meeting the renewable energy targets; and (b) the performance of schemes to achieve targets under this Act that promote the generation of electricity by large-scale facilities that utilise renewable energy sources or convert renewable energy sources into electricity; and Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 4 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Part 2—Renewable energy targets and capacity determinations (c) investment and employment in Victoria in relation to renewable electricity generation. (2) The report must be in writing and contain the information determined by the Minister. (3) The Minister must cause the report for the financial year to be laid before each House of the Parliament on or before 31 October in the subsequent financial year or, if a House is not then sitting, on the first sitting day of that House after 31 October.

9 Capacity determinations The Minister, by notice published in the Government Gazette, must determine the minimum amounts of renewable energy generation capacity required to meet the targets under this Act for the purposes of contributing to the achievement of— (a) the renewable energy target for 2020—by

31 December 2017; and (b) the renewable energy target for 2025—by S. 9(b) amended by

31 December 2019; and No. 42/2019 s. 4(1). (c) the renewable energy target for 2030—by S. 9(c) inserted by

31 December 2025. No. 42/2019 s. 4(2). Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 5 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Part 3—General Part 3—General

10 Regulations (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations for or with respect to any matter required or permitted to be prescribed or necessary or convenient to be prescribed to give effect to this Act. (2) Regulations made under this section may— (a) be of general or limited application; and (b) differ according to differences in time, place or circumstance. ═══════════════ Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 6 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Endnotes Endnotes

1 General information See www.legislation.vic.gov.au for Victorian Bills, Acts and current authorised versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information. Minister's second reading speech— Legislative Assembly: 24 August 2017 Legislative Council: 21 September 2017 The long title for the Bill for this Act was "A Bill for an Act to establish renewable energy targets for Victoria, to support schemes to achieve targets under the Act and for other purposes." The Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 was assented to on 8 November 2017 and came into operation on 15 December 2017: Special Gazette (No. 433) 12 December 2017 page 2. INTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA) Style changes Section 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in

Schedule 1 to that Act. References to ILA s. 39B Sidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided section or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subsections or subclauses, the original section or clause becomes subsection or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression "(1)" at the beginning of the original section or clause. Interpretation As from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects: • Headings All headings included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any heading inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. This includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; sections; clauses; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms. See section 36(1A)(2A). Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 7 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Endnotes • Examples, diagrams or notes All examples, diagrams or notes included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Act. See section 36(3A). • Punctuation All punctuation included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 forms part of that Act. Any punctuation inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. See section 36(3B). • Provision numbers All provision numbers included in an Act form part of that Act, whether inserted in the Act before, on or after 1 January 2001. Provision numbers include section numbers, subsection numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C). • Location of "legislative items" A "legislative item" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of an Act is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B. • Other material Any explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of an Act. See section 36(3)(3D)(3E). Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 8 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Endnotes 2 Table of Amendments This publication incorporates amendments made to the Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 by Acts and subordinate instruments. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Amendment Act 2019, No. 42/2019 Assent Date: 6.11.19 Commencement Date: Ss 2A–4 on 13.8.20: s. 2(2) Current State: This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 9 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Endnotes 3 Amendments Not in Operation This version does not contain amendments that are not yet in operation. Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 10 Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 No. 56 of 2017 Endnotes 4 Explanatory details No entries at date of publication. Authorised by the Chief Parliamentary Counsel 11