This is the Nexus to the future of Renewables in NSW . That is why it needs to be stopped !

This removes the democratic process!  

You will see how the Energy Legislation Amendment (Prioritising Renewable Energy) Bill 2026 changes the framework around renewable energy developments. (Please note that the legislation officially amends the Electricity Supply Act 1995—often informally referred to as the Energy Supply Act—as well as the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979).  

The proposed changes are designed to accelerate the state's energy transition. However, they significantly alter the Independent Planning Commission's (IPC) involvement and the legal rights of local communities regarding State Significant Developments (SSDs).  

Here is a breakdown of the key changes and their impacts on local stakeholders:

 Creation of "Priority Energy Projects" (PEPs): The Bill amends the Electricity Supply Act 1995 to give the NSW Energy Minister the power to declare certain renewable generation, transmission, and energy storage infrastructure as PEPs.  

 Bypassing Initial IPC Advice: Previously, the Planning Minister had to obtain and publish advice from the IPC before declaring an energy project an SSD. The new legislation allows PEPs to be declared SSDs without this prior advice from the IPC, streamlining the pathway and centralizing early decision-making power within the government.  Impact on due diligence: What the Bill does do is allow the Planning Minister to mandate that the IPC exercise its functions (such as holding public hearings and making a final decision) "within times specified in the direction".  

While the NSW Government argues this change is necessary to avoid "unnecessary delays" and provide certainty for critical infrastructure, it legally binds the IPC to the government's clock. 

 Ministerial Direction for Public Hearings:

The Bill grants the Planning Minister the express power to direct the IPC to hold public hearings for PEPs and SSDs, and mandates that the IPC exercise its functions within specified timeframes.  

 Extinguishment of Merits Appeal Rights:

This is the most critical change for local communities. Under NSW planning law, when the IPC is directed to hold a public hearing and acts as the final consent authority for a project, the statutory "merits appeal" rights for both objectors and proponents are completely extinguished.  

 Inability to Challenge in Court:

 Because of the public hearing mechanism, local stakeholders will lose the ability to take an approved SSD to the Land and Environment Court to challenge the project on its merits. This is a deliberate measure by the government to provide developers with certainty and prevent protracted legal challenges from delaying critical energy infrastructure.  

In summary, while the Bill aims to fast-track essential renewable energy infrastructure, it does so by streamlining the IPC's initial advisory role and effectively removing the primary legal avenue that local communities use to challenge SSD approvals in their areas.