Around 130 delegates attended the two-day conference, which showcased community-owned clean energy projects.

Keynote speakers at the conference included Matthew Warren, Chief Executive Officer of the Clean Energy Council; alongside Chief Development Officer for Climate Change and Energy of Sydney City Council, Allan Jones; and the Chief Executive Officer of community renewable energy organisation GV Community Energy, Geoff Lodge.

At the conference delegates unanimously supported a motion calling on conference convenors to write to the Victorian State Government to express their disappointment with the policy and to ask the government to review its stance on the grounds of encouraging regional development.

The policy, adopted in August 2010, bans wind farms within five kilometres of regional growth areas, and within two kilometres of an existing dwelling without written consent from the dwelling owner.

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It also bans wind farms from national and state parks, a move which threatens a proposed community-owned wind farm in the Macedon Ranges.

In August 2011, Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy announced that the Coalition Government had approved Amendment VC82 – which confers all wind farm planning control to local councils.