The Victorian Coalition, on the other hand, has mirrored One Nation in promising to scrap one of state\u2019s major transmission projects, the contested VNI West line that will link Victoria to New South Wales and open up the state\u2019s north-west to additional renewable energy capacity.<\/p>\n
In its place, the Coalition is proposing a Plan B that will install urban solar farms on factory roofs, backed by batteries, and that will double down on new gas exploration and power generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cA [Coalition] government will pause and review the long-distance wires and transmission proposals, the Victorian transmission plan, and the renewable energy zones, and we will do so \u2013 as I\u2019ve said before \u2013 in a short, sharp, and independent review,\u201d Davis told the luncheon event.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not our intention to allow this process to extend, but it is our intention to review what is undoubtedly a broken and ramshackle approach adopted by the current government.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davis had a great deal to say about gas, including in connection with the state Coalition proposal to launch a tender for firming capacity, which he said will be at least partially about gas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe there is gas to be got out there \u2013 I suspect that some of the firming capacity will be about gas. Some of it might be batteries, but we\u2019ve been technology neutral in that decision, so people, whoever that might be, can come forward with proposals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
To support this approach, Davis points to forecasts from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) that Victoria could face energy supply shortfalls in 2028, when EnergyAustralia\u2019s Yallourn coal plant is due to exit the system.<\/p>\n
Asked how conventional gas exploration starting in 2027 will resolve a supply gap in 2028-29 \u2013 when the average time from discovery to market is 10-plus years \u2013 Davis said the answer lay in reversing Labor government decisions and \u201csmoothing\u201d the regulatory process.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe delays are not of our making,\u201d the shadow minister said. \u201cThe delays are the making of the current government. They\u2019ve been for 12 years there. The delay on offshore wind is their fault. The delay on VNI West is their fault. The delay on Western Renewables is their fault.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to take on the burden of answering for Labor\u2019s 12 years,\u201d Davis said. \u201cWhat I will say is that we are aware that gas is important.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will reverse the gas decisions that the government has taken \u2026we will go after gas. We have every reason to believe that it\u2019s more available than people have characterised. <\/p>\n
\u201cCertainly, talking to the sector, there is gas to be got. Now, I accept that there\u2019s a time delay. I can\u2019t wish that away, but I can work with the regulatory processes to smooth that through as far and as fast as it reasonably can be done.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Offshore wind, Davis was more positive, despite describing Labor\u2019s approach to the brand new industry as \u201cdiabolical,\u201d and describing the failure to get EPBC approval for an offshore wind dedicated port at Hastings as \u201ca legendary cockup.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shadow minister stressed that the opposition did not oppose the offshore wind bill, and has \u201cseen the merit in supporting proposals for offshore wind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe opposition will adopt a responsible approach, given that tenders have formally commenced last month and are due to be returned through the bidding process in August 2027,\u201d he told the luncheon.<\/p>\n
Davis also said the state Coalition would form a cabinet subcommittee to make sure that projects \u201cdon\u2019t get lost and and and just float\u201d in the development pipeline. He also said the party was \u201copen to engagement\u201d with the Commonwealth on state-federal EPBC harmonisation. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can find a way to subsume the EPBC regulatory work into state EESs, we will do so. We see that that is a constructive win for all of the projects in the state, whether they be minerals projects, whether they be renewable energy projects, or whether they be traditional energy projects,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Davis also took the opportunity to bring up the corruption allegations plaguing the Labor government over its Big Build program, saying that nobody should assume that \u201cconstruction of energy projects, including long-distance wires,\u201d was immune from the \u201crampant corruption\u201d under Labor.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the contrary, all the evidence shows that there is a real risk that energy projects, whether wind farms or long-distance wires and connectors, will need to be watched very closely,\u201d Davis told the gathering. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe should be aware that this massive corruption is a risk, and unless you missed it, Labor have tagged that our energy or our electricity projects are the new big build.\u201d<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sophie-vorrath-e1707967778268.jpg\"\/)
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