The legislation includes a provision ‘that enables authorised officers, accompanied by officers of electricity corporations, to enter private land without owner or occupier consent’.
Labor is expected to introduce the Bill to Parliament this week.
The Bill will transfer responsibility for transmission network planning from the Australian Energy Market Operator to VicGrid, enabling VicGrid to implement the 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan.
The Bill also introduces new network access arrangements for VicGrid to manage access to the grid.
Farmer Ben Duxson is a long-time opponent to the VNI West project, which will affect his property at Wallaloo near Marnoo, said landowners would not allow contractors access to their land.
“Contractors need to understand that the State Government doesn’t have the landholders’ consent for any of this,” he said.
“We’re already a few contractors pull out of trying to put in a tender for VNI West and it’s a complete mess that the government is trying to railroad and bully their way onto our land.
“Premier Jacinta Allan and the Labor government look as though they’re changing the legislation now to compulsory acquire by stealth, which is really underhanded and something the landholders aren’t going to put up with.”
Mr Duxson said the government had taken away landowners’ rights throughout the process, including barring farmers from taking the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, VCAT.
“When you’re backed into the corner, you come out fighting and we know they don’t want a showdown with us, but that’s where it’s going to come to – a showdown at the gate,” he said. “The mood is that the reason we’re so strong in this is that because it doesn’t work, the energy policy that this government is putting forward doesn’t work.
“We’ll back ourselves and until they forcefully remove all the people up and down the line.”
Mr Duxson heads the Wallalloo and Gre Gre District Alliance, opposing the VNI West project, which proposes a high-capacity, double-circuit overhead transmission line, forming a conduit between the Western Renewables Link project at Bulgana, east of Stawell, to New South Wales.
Ms D’Ambrosio said the government had heard from regional communities that would host new energy infrastructure that the benefits of the energy transition needed to be shared fairly.
“The REZ Community Energy Funds will support projects and initiatives that improve energy supply, efficiency, and affordability for the host regions,” she said.
“Local host communities will identify and help design projects that will best benefit them.”
Ms D’Ambrosio said the final details of the funds would be formalised through further legislation later this year.
“Landowners already receive full and fair compensation under the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act with an additional $8000 per kilometre per year to ensure that they are financially better off,” she said.
The entire June 25, 2025 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
The entire June 25,, 2025 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!
