“It’s a real opportunity for farmers who have been struggling and fighting and standing their ground against VNI West, against WRL, against renewables, in their prime agricultural area to know that they are being listened to and that actions are being taken,” she said.
“We strongly believe that prime agricultural land should be protected, and I think it’s incredibly important that our farmers and our farming communities have some hope at this point in time.
“They have been deprived of hope despite their continued, excellent stand against terrible government legislation at a state level and the railroading of their communities by the Federal Government’s ambitious targets and actions funding the renewable rollout.”
Dr Webster said Mr Canavan and Mr Chester were keen to attend and listen to the community’s opinions.
“There are many other electorates that are impacted. Some of those electorates are now finding their voice and finding their feet, and that is excellent, but Mallee has been front and centre of the pushback and I just think this is a great opportunity for Matt and for Darren and for farmers to be given that opportunity to speak with them directly and face-to-face,” she said.
Dr Webster said the Prime Agricultural Land Protection Bill, which she and the Nationals tabled in both levels of Federal Parliament last sitting, proposed to introduce caveats to protect agricultural land in the cases where federal funding was allocated to state and territory governments.
“In my legislation, they cannot continue to roll out projects and implement transmission projects, et cetera, over prime ag land,” she said.
Dr Webster said she was ‘deeply concerned’ by news last week that AusNet had emailed property owners to say it had sought State Government approval to compulsorily acquire easements over their properties to construct the Western Renewables Link, WRL, transmission line.
The WRL is a proposed 190-kilometre overhead high-voltage electricity transmission line that will carry renewable energy from Bulgana, near Stawell, to Sydenham in Melbourne’s north-west.
“It becomes daily more like the Soviet state of Victoria rather than a democracy where farmers have rights to their land, and I am frankly appalled by it,” Dr Webster said.
“ Farmers affected by VNI West are worried about it for sure, but they’re determined to stand their ground.”
In an email to property owners, AusNet WRL project executive Michael Learmonth said the Victorian Parliament passed amendments to the Electricity Industry Act 2000 in March allowing a transmission company to seek approval to compulsorily acquire an easement while an Environment Effects Statement process was still underway.
“Following the legislative changes, AusNet has applied to the Victorian government for powers to compulsorily acquire easements for WRL,” the email read.
“Importantly, AusNet does not currently have these powers for WRL and this application does not mean that compulsory acquisition will take place immediately. The Victorian government will decide whether any powers are granted.”
People should RSVP to the forum by emailing anne.webster.mp@aph.gov.au as seating is limited.
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