Last month 12 Victorian farmers received $814 fines for preventing VicGrid workers from conducting environmental surveys on their properties as part of a VNI West transmission line project.
Cr Emerson labelled the fines ‘a case of injustice’.
“I think this is a tragedy for those people who are long-serving farming people within our community and are now being faced with criminal charges for disallowing access to their privately owned properties,” he said.
He said the points of his motion addressing biosecurity concerns were also important.
“There are some biosecurity measures in place, but it seems to me that the farming community needs more time to make sure they can be satisfied that people coming onto their farms are trained in regard to what the biosecurity requirements might be during different seasons of agriculture,” he said.
“Those seasons being the lambing periods, the harvesting periods – all different periods associated with bio-
security problems that may well be brought onto those farms.
“It’s time we stood as a council and supported our community through leadership, through compassion and through fairness to everybody who’s involved in it.”
Cr Jenny Greenberger opposed Cr Emerson’s motion, saying while she supported the farmers’ right to protest, they were aware of the consequences their actions would bring.
“I believe in the democratic process and in November when the election occurs, there has been an undertaking if there is a change of government these fines may well be withdrawn,” she said.
“But in the meantime I believe they are legally constituted requirements, and everybody was well aware of what was required in regards to the issue that led to these fines.
“I do believe in the right to protest and for civil disobedience, and there’s been many occasions I have supported the right to protest – the dam issue in Tasmania, and even back in the 1970s in my case with protests against the Vietnam War.
“But if you choose to go down that line, then you pay the consequences, and if there are fines involved then you pay the fines.”
Cr Greenberger said the VNI West project, which aims to connect the electricity grids of Victoria and New South Wales to allow for a greater and more stable supply of renewable electricity in both states, would benefit future generations.
She said the compulsory acquisition and access laws used by the government were no different to other public infrastructure projects.
“The Victorian government is close to now five years in the planning of the transition to renewable energy and the VNI West is critical infrastructure as part of that transition,” she said.
“That transition is to ensure the supply of reliable, affordable power into the future for the whole of Victoria.
“These projects are not the only examples of compulsory acquisition. There’s been many examples in the city of compulsory acquisition, including for the replacement of the rail crossings and the Suburban Rail Loop railway.
“The previous Denis Napthine Coalition government required the compulsory acquisition of properties – not only houses but also businesses – for the EastLink road.”
Cr Greenberger encouraged farmers to work with VicGrid landholder liaison officers if they had concerns about biosecurity threats when workers visited their property.
Cr Karen Probst said she had concerns about the impacts of the fines on farmers’ mental health.
“They have been under so much stress that I think some of them are close to breaking point, and the imposition of fines might just be that thing that sends them over the line,” she said.
“I think working with people and discussing compromises is a much better way to go than raising a stick.
“When it comes to the farmers and compulsory acquisition for transmission lines, it’s affecting not only their home, but their business. And they’re multi-million-dollar businesses.
“I think the issue is they’re just not getting listened to, or feel like they’re not getting listened to, particularly in the early stages.
“It might be getting better now, but I think the damage was done early on when they weren’t given input into decisions that are going to affect them.”
Cr Emerson pushed back on some of Cr Greenberger’s statements.
“I too like the democratic process and I abide by it, only when it’s fair and reasonable. This is not fair and reasonable,” he said.
“I’m here as a consequence of my community wanting support for a very difficult period they’re going through, as Cr Probst has suggested.
“They’re entitled to representation from publicly elected people, and as a result of this motion I’m giving them that entitlement.”
The motion passed, with Crs Emerson, Probst, Jack Blake and Justine Hide in favour and Cr Greenberger opposed. Mayor Karen Hyslop was absent for the discussion and vote after declaring a conflict of interest.
The entire September 9, 2026 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
