The Victorian Energy Portfolio is responsible for supporting a reliable, affordable, secure, and scalable energy system. It underpins households, industry, infrastructure, regional communities, and economic growth across Victoria by balancing system reliability, capital investment, generation capacity, storage capability, and long-term energy security.

Energy security focuses on ensuring Victoria has adequate generation, network transmission capacity, flexible storage, and robust contingency planning. Key priorities include electricity reliability, network resilience, peak demand management, regional electricity infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and critical service protection.

Existing large-scale baseload generation facilities—such as Loy Yang A, Loy Yang B, and Yallourn—continue to provide critical large-scale capacity, grid stability, and industrial energy security. Maintaining system adequacy and proactive infrastructure management ensures Victoria’s manufacturing and essential services remain powered.

Australians Unified supports evaluating proven international approaches that improve efficiency, operational flexibility, reliability, emissions performance, and plant lifecycle management. Modernising existing electricity generation infrastructure ensures assets can respond dynamically to peak demands while maintaining system stability.

Key international precedents include:

• China: Large-scale coal fleet modernisation programs alongside renewable expansion, transmission networks, and pumped hydro developments.
• Japan: Significant investment in high-efficiency generation technologies and continuous infrastructure upgrades.
• Germany: Programs dedicated to increasing generation flexibility and supporting grid management throughout broad energy transitions.

Hydro-electric and pumped hydro infrastructure store energy over extended durations and release high-capacity power during peak demand periods. Together with regional water storage assets, these systems provide natural grid support, buffer volatility, and stimulate regional infrastructure investment.

Reliable transmission and distribution corridors connect generation and storage assets directly to major consumers. Priorities include connecting designated Renewable Energy Zones (REZs), completing regional transmission line upgrades, and securing heavy industrial power access across the statewide electricity network.

Grid-scale batteries, community storage, and commercial battery installations balance short-term supply and demand fluctuations. Emerging technologies—including electric vehicle infrastructure, smart microgrids, and advanced energy technologies—enable future economic expansion and industrial capability.

Victoria oversees energy policy, infrastructure coordination, transmission planning, generation development, and industrial energy settings. Moving forward, the state must address strategic challenges including household energy affordability, growing peak electricity demand, infrastructure replacement, industrial competitiveness, and energy-sector workforce capability.

Energy underpins multiple core portfolios:

• Housing: Residential energy efficiency and household demand.
• Industry: Manufacturing competitiveness and business productivity.
• Skills & workforce: Developing engineering, technical, and trade capabilities.
• Transport: Fleet electrification and vehicle charging networks.
• Regional development: Long-term investment, regional jobs, and local economic growth.

The core objective is to deliver a safe, efficient, connected, and resilient transport network that supports communities, freight movement, regional economic development, and long-term prosperity across Victoria.

Roads remain the essential backbone of passenger, freight, emergency, and regional services. Australians Unified advocates for long-term multi-year maintenance planning, black spot safety programs, and prioritised upgrades across key arterials such as the Princes, Western, and Calder Highways.

Rail reforms target network capacity constraints, signalling modernisations, station accessibility retrofits, and timetable coordination across Metro Trains and the regional V/Line network, alongside major infrastructure like the Metro Tunnel and Suburban Rail Loop.

Freight efficiency is strengthened by expanding rail freight capacity, easing bottlenecks on key arterial corridors, and upgrading logistics access to crucial intermodal terminals in Laverton North, Dandenong South, and the Port of Melbourne.

Active transport expands dedicated cycling corridors, shared commuter trails, and pedestrian paths. For regional Victoria, our focus is bridging service frequency gaps, maintaining road and rail assets, and ensuring rural towns have dependable access to essential healthcare, education, and jobs.

Transport works directly alongside housing developments, industrial growth zones, workforce mobility programs, and renewable energy infrastructure, ensuring new communities and economic hubs are fully connected from day one.

The portfolio centres on protecting native biodiversity, managing natural resources, securing clean water supplies, enhancing climate resilience, advancing resource recovery, and supporting sustainable land use. The overall goal is to protect Victoria's natural assets and ensure future generations inherit healthy, productive ecosystems that sustain our communities, agriculture, and regional economies.

We address biodiversity decline, invasive species, and habitat fragmentation through targeted reform opportunities. These include large-scale habitat restoration, strengthened biodiversity corridors across national parks (such as Alpine, Grampians, and Wilsons Promontory), continuous environmental monitoring, and dedicated community conservation partnerships to safeguard threatened species.

Water is one of Victoria's most critical long-term assets facing population growth and climatic variability. Our reforms focus on expanded water storage planning, proactive catchment protection (including Melbourne Water catchments and Thomson Reservoir), integrated water recycling, and securing healthy environmental flows across vital river networks like the Murray and Goulburn rivers.

To counter landfill pressures and stream contamination, our strategy supports modernised recycling infrastructure, regional resource recovery facilities, and expanded circular economy initiatives. Building on proven frameworks like the Container Deposit Scheme and Recycling Victoria programs, we keep valuable resources in productive circulation.

Land management safeguards food production, regional prosperity, and water quality. Our platform partners with Catchment Management Authorities and Landcare Victoria to implement soil improvement initiatives, rehabilitate degraded landscapes, balance agricultural productivity with conservation, and overcome competing land-use pressures.

Victorian communities frequently face bushfire and flood risks. The portfolio integrates adaptation planning, risk assessments, and disaster preparedness into local and regional frameworks. By reinforcing natural catchments and firebreaks alongside regional resilience programs, we empower communities to withstand and recover from acute environmental disruptions.

Environmental stewardship directly intersects with transport infrastructure planning, housing growth boundaries, renewable energy deployment, emergency management coordination, and regional economic development. Coordinated cross-portfolio policy ensures Victoria prospers while preserving its foundational natural heritage.

The Victorian Emergency Management Portfolio encompasses seven primary sub-portfolios:

• Bushfire management: Risk reduction, planned burns, fuel mitigation, and community protection.
• Flood management: Catchment planning, flood mitigation, and storm response infrastructure.
• Emergency services: Supporting CFA, SES, Ambulance Victoria, and Triple Zero Victoria.
• Emergency communications: Public warnings, broadcast infrastructure, and early alert systems.
• Disaster response & coordination: Multi-agency operational control and state emergency planning.
• Community resilience: Volunteer networks, local fireguard programs, and educational readiness.
• Search & rescue: Missing persons, disaster air support, and specialized regional rescue teams.

Bushfire management focuses on active prevention and fuel management, extensive community preparedness education, rapid emergency response coordination, and structured regional recovery programs. By working alongside Forest Fire Management Victoria, CFA brigades, and Community Fireguard groups, the portfolio strengthens evacuation planning and protects vulnerable settlement perimeters.

Flood management combines hydrological risk assessment with proactive infrastructure safeguarding. Through Catchment Management Authorities and the Victoria State Emergency Service (SES), the portfolio enhances flood mapping accuracy, improves local drainage systems, provides real-time community storm warnings, and executes regional recovery plans following inundation.

The portfolio prioritises workforce sustainability, volunteer recruitment, and technology modernisation for frontline agencies including the Country Fire Authority (CFA), Victoria SES, Ambulance Victoria, and Triple Zero call dispatch. Reforms focus on upgrading field equipment, expanding regional operational coverage, and ensuring integrated communication across all volunteer and career personnel.

During major incidents, the State Emergency Response Plan activates joint incident management facilities where police, fire, rescue, health, and transport agencies operate under unified command. This coordinated deployment ensures timely resource allocation, coordinated search and rescue operations, streamlined air support, and clear public warning dissemination.

Community resilience starts well before a crisis unfolds. The portfolio invests in local council resilience planning, neighbourhood support networks, public safety education, and volunteer recruitment programs. By equipping households and businesses with practical readiness plans, communities can withstand acute disruptions and recover far more rapidly.

Emergency management directly interfaces with several vital portfolios:

• Environment: Strategic land use, national park maintenance, and watershed health.
• Transport: Maintaining essential evacuation corridors and emergency freight access.
• Health: Coordinating paramedic surge capacity and hospital emergency support.
• Local Government & Regional Development: Managing on-the-ground recovery centers, municipal relief funds, and local infrastructure restoration.