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    INFORMED: The Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal last week attracted a full house. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
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    Ross Johns. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    Kylie Zanker, Yarrimabiack mayor. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    James Burke, Jeffcott farmer. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    James Burke, Jeffcott farmer. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    Anne Webster. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    Anne Webster. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    Janet Addinsall. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    Janet Addinsall. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    Ross Johns. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    Donna Johns. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    Yarriambiack shire chief executive Tammy Smith. Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP
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    Buloke Shire mayor Alan Getley, Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association meeting at Warracknabeal. WMEAP

Councillors take stand over mining and renewables

Yarriambiack Shire Council has endorsed a position statement on mining, renewable energy and transmission lines, advocating for legislative reforms to ensure that affected communities in their shire are thoroughly consulted throughout the process.

Cr Corinne Heintze read the recommended motion at last Wednesday’s meeting, endorsing its position and advocating to state and federal governments for significant financial investment in the shire and region if mining and renewable energy projects are approved.

“Multinational companies seem to be intent with forcing renewable energy, transmission lines and mineral sands mining upon our rural communities, all at the same time,” she said. 

“There’s so much distrust and growing anger and frustration within communities. Rumours abound, so we as council have put together this document which explains where council stands and what council can do and cannot do.”



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Cr Heintze said there were several considerations, including food production to be a priority with ever-increasing world population, that some farmers were happy to host wind turbines to drought-proof their farms, and the community should benefit if transmission lines were to invade the landscapes.

“We don’t need any more studies to demonstrate how we are so often left behind here – roads, rail, health and housing, aged care, childcare,” she said.

“If we are to host any of this infrastructure, we are asking for our fair share of those services, especially given the contribution that agriculture already makes to Australia’s wealth.”

Mayor Kylie Zanker said council acknowledged the projects’ objectives were to advance Victoria’s clean economy ambitions, to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 and attain 95 per cent renewable energy by 2035.  

“If our region is to host renewable energy and mining projects, we ask that legislative reforms are enacted to prevent the displacement of farming families, to protect landowners’ intergenerational bond with their land, and to consider the social wellbeing of the community,” she said.

“We require improved facilities, roads, and a committed investment for both the present and future.”

Cr Zanker said the collaboratively-
developed statement was a working document, which would change as government policy and big business strategy changed. 

“We do represent a diverse view in our municipality – those who support clean energy goals, those who oppose them, and those who feel pressured to take a side or have only one opinion,” she said. 

On Tuesday last week, Wimmera Mallee Environmental and Agricultural Protection Association, WMEAP, hosted a public meeting at Warracknabeal. 

Dignitaries, members of the public, and police were in attendance.

The not-for-profit group, formed and incorporated by community members and led by president Ross Johns, declared its purpose, in part, ‘to support the protection of the natural environment and ensure the region’s capacity for food production’. 

Group members have established a website – www.wmeap.com – and a Facebook page; spoken at community meetings, on radio and on a podcast; submitted newspaper articles; and sent more than 160 letters to politicians and councillors regarding their concerns with wind energy projects at Warracknabeal and Wilkur, and Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West, VNI West. 

Member for Mallee Anne Webster commended the community’s efforts.

“This is happening all over Australia, and its farming communities who have not been asked to bear the burden of this new green energy, but rather been told that we will bear it,” she said.

“I want to assure you that I never fail to get up in the party room and argue your case for what is going on in Mallee. My colleagues who are in similar electorates in New South Wales and Queensland do the same, so I just want you to know, I’ll continue to fight for you.” 

Fifth-generation farmer James Burke spoke at the meeting about VNI West’s impact on his property. 

“VNI West comes in on the north-east of our farm, and exits on the south-west – we get it right across the middle,” he said.

“It’s a massive thing for us to work around if this ever does go ahead.”

Mr Burke said he also ran a harvesting business, and with his spray-contractor brother, emailed their concerns to Transmission Company Victoria, TCV.

“The trust had been burned for me as far as TCV and what is going on – I went to a meeting in Stawell where I stood up and had the confidence to raise what had actually happened with this email that had been sent back,” he said. 

“They asked me to hang around after the meeting to have a further meeting with the head bosses there at the time, who looked at where our farm was and agreed that it was awful that our family would get possibly 20 towers. 

“So they offered to do a behind-the-door sign, a piece of paper, to shift it onto my neighbours. 

“There’s 150-odd years of knowing each other – I was not going to burn my neighbours. 

“This is absolute truth. I’ve tried to get them to say it publicly at meetings I’ve been to. They won’t admit it, but it absolutely happened.”

Mr Burke said there did not seem to be a choice in the matter.

“They’re talking about compulsory acquisition. But we’re going to try our best, we’ll be there right till the end,” he said. 

“We’ll be there at the gate when they go to start.”

Council’s statement is available online with the January meeting’s minutes. – Bronwyn Hastings

The entire February 5, 2025 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!