Introduction
Over the past 12 months there has been a dramatic increase in
the development of greenfield renewable projects in Australia.
Victoria's recent announcement that it will set a renewable
energy target of 40 per cent by 2025 together with the ARENA large
scale solar tender closing on 15 June 2015, Queensland's
announcement of 'Solar 120' and the ACT government's
latest large scale wind and solar auction, means the development of
renewable energy projects in Australia is set to keep on rising.
This has resulted in increased competition between developers and
private investors looking to secure land rights early for their
solar and wind projects.
Most early discussions with landowners and the entry into
options to lease are appropriately conducted at a commercial level
without the involvement of professional advisers. Developers
should, however, keep front of mind the key regulatory and legal
risks in acquiring land interests over development sites for
