At the World Wind Energy Conference WWEC 2005 in Melbourne, Australia, in November 2005 the Premier of the Australian State of Victoria, Steve Bracks, opened the Conference with an announcement of a new Victorian Governmental policy.
Victorian Energy Minister Theophanous provided more detail of the policy to the Conference. Now, in July 2006, the fruits of that policy announcement can be seen. On 17 July 2006 the Premier Steve Bracks and Energy Minister Theo Theophanous announced a renewable energy scheme with a mandatory target which will increase renewable energy to 10% by 2016, equalling almost a triplication of today’s renewable energy capacity. The major development will be in new wind farms with up to 1000 MW of new installations, but solar and biomass are expected to develop on the back of this new endeavour.