Victoria’s fast track planning pathway has pushed a growing pipeline of renewable energy and storage developments through the approvals system with the state government pointing to billions of dollars in investment and faster timeframes as it tries to lift supply and ease power bills.
The Development Facilitation Program established by the Minister of Planning to enable faster decisions for priority projects provides expedited planning pathways and facilitation services for eligible developments.
Since the program was expanded to include renewable energy projects, the state has repeatedly updated its ongoing totals.
In February 2025, the government said more than $1 billion worth of renewable projects had been fast tracked and would supply cheaper, cleaner power for more than 337,000 Victorian households each year.
By July 2025, it said fast tracked approvals had reached $4.4 billion across 16 projects and in September 2025, it put the figure at more than $6 billion across 20 projects.
The government said it invested more than $7.8 billion in 22 projects by November 2025, claiming benefits including more than 3,000 jobs and enough output to supply more than 700,000 households annually.
The government argues that the policy is designed to reduce delays that can stretch for years when disputes get caught up in Victorian civil and administrative tribunals.
A February 2025 release said more than one in five renewable energy project applications had ended up stuck in VCAT often delaying them by two years.
Supporters say faster decisions provide certainty for investors and help get capacity online sooner particularly as batteries become more central to meeting evening demand.
Recent approvals under the route have included solar farms and large batteries which usually involve issues such as wildfire safety, noise, visual impact and consultation with agencies such as country fire authorities.
Nationally, Infrastructure Australia has cited Victoria’s program as an example of governments streamlining approvals for energy projects, noting it aims to guarantee decisions within about four months.
