The passage of the VicGrid Bill has been met with strong opposition from The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria, Gaelle Broad, who condemned the legislation as a direct attack on regional communities and private property rights.
“Have we ever seen anything like this bill in the history of this chamber? A bill that permits authorised officers to use reasonable force to access private property.” Ms Broad said.
Ms Broad criticised the Allan Labor Government for pushing through energy transmission legislation with support of crossbench MPs from the Greens, Legalise Cannabis Party and Animal Justice Party, warning it hands sweeping powers to government authorities while stripping away the rights of landholders.
“There is a cost to these projects and not just the cost of construction. Today, as we have heard, there is another cost with the removal of private property rights.”
The Bill’s passage comes despite widespread concern from farming communities, local councils and industry experts.
“Instead of working with communities to address these issues, this government has sought to silence regional Victorians by removing the right to appeal to VCAT if they oppose or challenge renewable energy projects,” Ms Broad said.
Ms Broad also raised concerns about the ballooning costs of transmission projects, citing estimates from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), and energy experts that said VicGrid blueprint could cost over $28 billion and drive household electricity bills up by 50 per cent and large power users bills by up to 350 per cent.
“We are a resource-rich state. We have what the world wants, but we are not managing the resources we have been given,” Ms Broad said.
“Labor has been in government now for years. They have had plenty of time to get it right, but they have made an absolute mess of it.”
The Nationals have pledged that if elected in 2026, they will repeal the legislation and restore landholder rights, including access to VCAT to challenge inappropriate renewable energy and transmission developments.
Media Contact: Gaelle Broad 1300 423 553
