Spiire’s Town Planning, Urban Design, Surveying, Integrated Water, Landscape Architecture and Visual Media teams were engaged by Syncline Pty Ltd to gain planning approval for a significant utility development in Melbourne’s west.
When constructed, the project will include the largest battery storage facility in the world. The site covers more than 90ha of land and is located adjacent to Ausnet’s Sydenham Terminal Station, just 25km from Melbourne’s CBD.
At a scale of +600MW storage x 4 hours battery storage, the Melton Renewable Energy Hub (MREH) will make a material contribution to delivering on Victoria’s energy policy around grid stability and affordable, reliable green energy. Solar technology has also been incorporated into the design to ensure zero net energy loss within the facility.
The project required the need to facilitate the use and development of a Renewable Energy Facility (Solar Farm); Utility Installation (Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)) including transmission line to connect into the existing Sydenham Terminal Station site; and associated buildings and works, including the removal of native vegetation.
Our Town Planners have worked with Syncline Energy for some time, providing advice around site viability and ultimately, due to the State significance nature of the project, gaining ministerial approval under 20(4) of the Planning Environment Act.
The approval included introducing a Specific Controls Overlay to the Melton Planning Scheme. In the end, the SCO introduced and applied the Melton Renewable Energy Hub Incorporated Document to the land. The introduction of the SCO and the Incorporated Document provide planning certainty for the future development of the Melton Renewable Energy Hub (MREH) Project.
Our Town Planning team were recognised for their work on this project, receiving a commendation at the 2022 Planning Institute of Australia Victorian Awards for Planning Excellence in the Climate Change and Resilience catergory.
Our Visual Media team initially provided a series of view impact assessments to assist with the planning approval process. Once approval was gained, the team provided a series of aerial 3D renders to assist in visual communications and marketing and public relations for the facility.
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