Geothermal Energy Legislation
Geothermal Energy Resources Act 2005 (Vic) (GER Act)
The GER Act provides a framework for the exploration, extraction of geothermal energy. The GER Act establishes that like other earth resources, the heat energy within the earth belongs to all Victorians, and is therefore vested in the Crown.
The GER Act seeks to encourage the development of a clean, secure and renewable source of energy and will benefit Victorians by:
- facilitating the sustainable large scale commercial exploration and extraction of GER, and thereby its use;
- establishing secure title to GER to enable industry to raise finance to explore and extract GER;
- providing for effective and efficient allocation mechanisms for GER titles which will maximise GER exploration and extraction;
- ensuring transparent, fair and efficient land access processes;
- ensuring environmental, social and land use issues are considered from planning to decommissioning GER operations; and
- providing an effective regime to enforce conditions of the title and operation, in particular, health, safety and environmental performance.
Provided below is a list and direct link to the Act and Regulation used to administer the exploration and extraction of geothermal energy.
Geothermal Energy Resources Act 2005
Geothermal Energy Resources Regulations 2006
