General News
1 August, 2024
Lowan MP condemns new transmission plan
MEMBER for Lowan Emma Kealy has condemned the State Government’s new transmission plan for Victoria and the “devastating impact it will have on masses of prime agricultural land”.
Ms Kealy, the Shadow Minister for Health, said Labor’s renewable energy body VicGrid has released a draft map combined with guidelines of priority renewable energy zones, which deem large areas of western Victoria as the most suitable for solar, wind farms and transmission lines.
Land surrounding Mortlake and Terang was identified as the highest priority for future investigation of renewable energy zones.
Ms Kealy said the Victorian Government had failed to listen to landholders and the agricultural sector, with the guidelines barely mentioning agriculture or farming as considerations.
“This sends a devastatingly clear message to our food and fibre producers that Labor does not care about the massive impact this plan will have on farmers’ ability to grow the produce that feeds the people of our state,” Ms Kealy said.
“Farmers keep food on our tables and are the cornerstone of our economy in western Victoria, but Labor seemingly has no plans for replacing the huge volumes of lost food production these projects would cause.
“No-one is arguing that our power delivery system needs upgrading, but there are ways to achieve this without gutting prime agricultural land.
“Labor let the cat out of the bag two years ago about its renewable plans, when a policy paper noted that meeting net-zero targets would require 70 per cent of Victoria’s agricultural land to be used for wind and solar farms.
“It’s no coincidence that this new transmission plan would accomplish that.”
Ms Kealy urged the public to submit their feedback.
“Labor can’t manage projects, can’t be trusted to look after our agricultural sector and Victorians are paying the price,” she said.
Shadow Minister for Energy, Affordability and Security, David Davis, said Labor has botched Victoria’s energy policy and now plan to ride roughshod over Victorian farmers and country communities.
“Of course, we need additional transmission capacity, but we don’t need an arrogant government that doesn’t listen to communities and producers, that doesn’t value our critical agricultural sector,” he said.
People can visit engage.vic.gov.au/victransmissionplan to make a submission and to see locations for regional drop-in sessions and online webinars.