Some Victorian local governments want clarity on how to approve and review solar projects.

Australian-owned developer GloBird Energy is seeking approval for what would be the biggest battery in Victoria, at an estimated cost of $150 million.

The Campaspe Shire Council is reviewing plans for the development, but Campaspe Mayor Adrian Weston says it is difficult due to a lack of direction on planned solar projects.

“Over the last 18 months there's certainly been a lot of solar farm applications come onto the radar for councils right across northern Victoria and they almost got the jump on everyone,” he said.

“We're looking forward to some guidelines that will help ensure that we get consistent decisions right across the state.”

In Victoria, wind farms require state approval but solar farms are primarily the responsibility of local governments.

Cr Weston said local governments can handle the responsibility, but says there are too many inconsistencies from council to council.

“When an application for any development is received, it's assessed against the respective clauses in our planning scheme and it's basically a merits-based assessment,” he said.

“There are some variations in council's planning schemes … each scheme as well as having all the state clauses and state content also has some local clauses and local policies.

“The important thing is the consistency so that the decisions that are made are assessed consistently across the state.

“Inevitably there'll be some focus on balancing the competing objectives between solar farm developments and the use of land for agriculture.”

The Greater Shepparton City Council declared itself “ill-equipped” to complete approvals for four solar developments for the region earlier this year.

Engineering expert Professor Andrew Blakers says there is “always room for improvement” on planning guidelines.

“Having accepted guidelines that allow developers to pick through and if they do it properly they will also get a social licence, as well as a formal licence from council, these are always useful and as we get more and more experience with solar farms, this will evolve to be very smooth and allow rapid uptake of solar in many districts across Australia,” he said.