All Victorians need reliable, secure and affordable energy, but those communities most affected by regional energy projects deserve to be heard and respected, The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad has told Parliament.
Ms Broad said families, farmers and businesses are paying the price for years of failed energy policy.
“Over the last decade we have seen reduced local production, higher energy prices and growing uncertainty about Victoria’s energy future.
“The Victorian Auditor-General has warned that Victoria faces a significant risk of electricity shortages following the expected closure of the Yallourn power station in 2028. With energy shortages comes the risk of blackouts, higher energy bills and a stalling economy.
“Under Labor residents across Northern Victoria are being denied a voice.”
Ms Broad said she had spoken to many residents, including one who had asked many questions of the multinational companies developing wind farms surrounding their property.
“Despite the direct impact on their livelihoods, they are still waiting for answers, even though they have attended community consultation sessions for more than a year. Their home is totally off-grid, but they may soon to be surrounded by 300-metre-tall wind turbines less than 1 kilometre from their home. They are living in a state of limbo.
“Under this government residents have also been silenced by harsh laws designed to bulldoze local communities as they seek to construct costly transmission lines.”
Ms Broad urged the government to make affordable, reliable and secure energy supplies a priority and said the Minister must:
- Give farmers their rights back and repeal the harsh fines on landholders who refuse access to their own land;
- Reinstate the right of appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT);
- Stop VNI West and undertake a rigorous assessment process for all major transmission projects and protect prime agricultural land;
- Repeal the extraordinary powers that permit compulsory acquisition of easements, even before planning and environmental studies have been undertaken;
- Ensure that large-scale wind and solar generation projects face a rigorous and independent planning panel assessment and institute a default 2-kilometre buffer zone around proposed wind towers;
- Open the door for more locally produced gas to help lower energy bills, strengthen Victoria’s energy security and support regional jobs;
- Reverse Labor’s gas ban and let new households and businesses connect to the gas network; and
- Promote urban solar parks on warehouse and factory rooftops in Melbourne to develop energy where it is needed and minimise the need for transmission lines across the state.
“The government must listen to residents across Northern Victoria and ensure local communities have a say in decisions that affect their land and livelihoods.”
“The state election is in November, and only the Nationals and Liberal team has a plan to deliver reliable, secure and affordable energy in Victoria.
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764 linda.barrow@parliament.vic.gov.au
