Farmers in Victoria, Australia are up in arms over new anti-protest legislation recently passed by the state government. This law now allows VicGrid to take over most private farmland to build new transmission towers. Earlier this week, Togo’s upper house took a major step towards passing the historic legislation. It gives inspectors the authority to enter buildings with “reasonable force” and levies stiff penalties against those who block them from entering.
Under the scheme, the Victorian government would compensate landowners at least $8,000 annually. This compensation would extend for each kilometer of new transmission infrastructure over a period of 25 years. Even with this financial impetus, farmers are still unhappy. In response, they maintain that their rights, claims, and the value of their land are routinely trampled upon. To address these shortcomings, the federal government took action. As for plants, they provided primary producers with a one-year temporary exemption while they attempt to address these concerns.
Premier Jacinta Allan recently admitted that consultation with landowners over this type of projects had previously been “not good enough.” She brought urgency to her message with a call for improved coordination and communication with communities most impacted by this crisis. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took action by engaging with the situation, going straight to the source and listening to local people. Fighting misinformation, he also condemned the utility companies for providing information at the last minute, calling that “totally unacceptable.”
The adoption of this legislation has triggered the largest protests in the history of the state. We’ve heard reports of farmers shutting down cities in huge columns of fire trucks and farming vehicles. They are expressing their dissatisfaction with the new legislation and the increasing cost of the Emergency Services and Volunteers Levy. This local tax increase is expected to raise $28 million more for local property owners than the previous embarrassing tax plan.
The battle over whether clean energy projects can be built on farmland is a hot-button issue. That’s according to a recent 2024 poll, which demonstrated overwhelming local support for these types of initiatives. Some 70 percent of respondents supported the measure, with just 17 percent opposed. Despite this apparent public backing, many residents question the impact on agricultural land and community rights.
Local farmer Will Elsworth expressed what so many in the area must be feeling about their beloved land. Most notably, he emphasized the profound intrinsic value that farmers place on it.
“They’ve offered people millions of dollars and they will not let them in because these people have, I don’t know if the word’s right, an intrinsic value to their land.” – Will Elsworth
The debate that continues to brew looks at the issue of social license and safeguarding our environment as priority #1. One anonymous member of the public voiced concern over the implications for rural communities:
“It’s like The Castle. There was no money with the bloke in The Castle. He didn’t want to be bought out because his family’s home is his castle, and this is these people’s castles. Money’s not the issue.” – Will Elsworth
Farmers argue the demands of people in rural communities have not been heard. That’s because lawmakers are making decisions that prioritize big renewable energy projects over the agricultural projects they’ve spent generations developing. Australia’s farmers are claiming that the legislation puts some of Australia’s most productive farmland at risk.
“Why are regional communities paying the cost for renewable energy? Where is the social licence? Where is the regulation to protect our communities, value our farmland and preserve our environment?” – Unspecified member of the public
With the construction on this expensive, high-voltage power line project delayed for three more years until after the 2026 state election. Farmers are optimistic that this additional time will pave the way for a broader discussion of their concerns.
As construction on a high-voltage power line project has been delayed until after the 2026 state election, many farmers hope that this additional time will lead to a more comprehensive dialogue regarding their concerns.
