The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has blasted the state government’s decision to go forth with transmission developments in Western Victoria, with the Australia Energy Market Operator Victorian Planning (AVP) implementing a Ministerial Order.
VNI West is a 500kV transmission line that will connect the Victorian and New South Wales grids, ensuring reliable electricity access during high-demand periods, allowing for about 3.4GW of additional renewable generation to be built across the solar-rich Murray River REZ and wind-rich Western Victoria REZ.
Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, reccently announced a Ministerial Order under the National Electricity (Victoria) Act 2005 to identify the preferred option for the Victorian part of VNI West and progress work to identify a final route through consultation with landowners, Traditional Owners and community stakeholders.
“Progressing critical transmission projects like VNI West is necessary to deliver cheaper, more reliable renewable energy to Victorian homes and businesses,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
“There can be no energy transition without new transmission infrastructure – as Victoria moves towards 95 per cent renewables by 2035, we have a duty to modernise our electricity network.”
The Ministerial Order will connect VNI West to the planned Western Renewables Link (WRL) at a terminal station at Bulgana in Victoria’s west, then link to a terminal station near Kerang in north central Victoria before crossing the Murray River north of Kerang – AEMO’s preferred option.
VFF president Emma Germano said Victoria’s Minister for Energy is using extreme powers to come over the top of farming communities and force transmission towers to be built on their land.
“Farmers are being ignored by the Andrew’s government in the planning for renewable energy and transmission development across the state,” Ms Germano said.
“The VFF called on the government to put a pause on these projects, take over their planning and get the policy settings right so communities are respected and landholder rights are protected.
“Instead, they have done the complete opposite by giving AEMO unfettered powers to send the bulldozers over our farms.
“The Minister is using autocratic powers to rush these projects, meaning there is no requirement for a cost-benefit analysis or competitive tender.
“Victoria’s energy rules aren’t just broken; they’re rotten.”
Ms Germano said the state government and AEMO’s proposed Option 5A for the VNI-West project opened new communities to transmission development without consultation.
“Yet again, the government has allowed AEMO to announce a new transmission route in the dead of night, without one jot of consultation with the farmers that could be impacted,” she said.
“The Minister’s Order states that she has consulted with the premier, the treasurer and AEMO; nowhere does it say she has consulted with the farming communities that will be impacted by these projects.”
VP and Transgrid completed six weeks of community consultation concerning alternate options for VNI West and received feedback and submissions from local communities and stakeholders.
The feedback reshaped where VNI West crosses the Murray River, with the final option adjusted to reflect stakeholder feedback identifying constraints around culturally and environmentally significant areas and zones of irrigated agriculture.
AVP Group Manager, Nicola Falcon, said that significant consultation and stakeholder feedback had contributed to the proposed option, which maximises benefits to electricity consumers and unlocks Victoria’s renewable energy potential.
“We thank all the farmers, community groups, councils and Traditional Owners who have contributed to the consultation, which will continue as the transmission line design is finalised,” Ms Falcon said.
“The feedback received has helped us identify a preferred option for the critical transmission line – a variant of the previously proposed option – that delivers the most benefits for consumers and more electricity generation from three REZs in Victoria and New South Wales.
“By crossing the Murray River further north-west, the project can also avoid some sensitive cultural areas and prime irrigation land identified in feedback from local communities and avoid the habitat of the endangered Plains-wanderer.”
Ms Germano said the government had failed to plan these projects properly, and as a consequence, regional communities could not support them.
“It’s clear the government is willing to allow these projects to be done on the cheap and nasty because they have failed to plan the transition to renewable energy,” she said.
“We want to be able to say that Victoria’s plan for transmission is the best in the country. That it takes into account our food and fibre security as well as our energy security at a time when the cost of living is biting every Victorian family.”
“Instead, we have no plan for our transmission network, and as a consequence, the projects currently underway should not have the support of any Victorian.”
VNI West still requires relevant planning and environmental approvals, which will provide more opportunities for those in communities and Traditional Owners to share their views on the project.
