450Priority statement

450 Priority statement (1) The Minister must prepare a statement setting out, in order of priority, the matters in respect of which the Premier and the Minister intend money to be paid out of the Sustainability Fund Account under section 449(3). (2) A statement under subsection (1) must be produced and published in accordance with the following steps— (a) the Minister must produce a draft statement; (b) notice of the draft statement must be advertised in a newspaper circulating generally throughout Victoria; (c) the advertisement must include— (i) an outline of the draft statement; and (ii) advice as to where a copy of the draft statement can be obtained or examined; and (iii) a statement inviting any person with an interest in the draft statement to make comments to the Premier or the Minister within 15 business days after the date of publication of the advertisement; S. 450(2)(d) amended by No. 41/2025 s. 4(Sch. 2 item 12.4). (d) a copy of the draft statement and a copy of the statement required under paragraph (c)(iii) must be published on the Internet site of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action; (e) the Premier and the Minister must consider any comments that are made in response to the invitation referred to in paragraph (c)(iii) before approving and publishing the statement; (f) a copy of the approved statement must be published in the Government Gazette. (3) Subsection (2) does not apply if the statement— (a) only revokes an existing statement; or (b) only amends an existing statement and the amendment is of a machinery or administrative nature. S. 451 inserted by No. 39/2018 s. 18 (as amended by Nos 27/2019 ss 32−40, 3/2020 ss 45, 46, 47/2020 s. 27).