I join with thousands of regional Victorians in condemning the Allan Labor government’s legislation which allows transmission companies to forcibly enter farmers’ land to construct high-voltage towers.
At the Bush Summit in Ballarat, I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with farmers at a protest against federal and state Labor’s reckless renewable rollout, which is driving up energy prices, compromising our food security and destroying the fabric of regional communities.
High voltage transmission towers, which threaten the viability of farms and impose an unacceptable fire risk, should not be forced on any landowner. If elected, Victorian Liberal Leader, Brad Battin, has committed to repeal these draconian laws.
Labor has not even considered undergrounding the Western Renewables Link which comprises a 190 kilometre overhead high-voltage transmission line from Sydenham in Melbourne’s west to Bulgana north of Ararat.
While it’s unlikely the Commonwealth has the power to directly block these state laws which permit trespass on farms, why should federal funding be used to support this renewable energy madness?
That is why I am fighting to stop the use of Commonwealth funding on all new electricity infrastructure projects unless strict requirements are met. These include respecting the property rights of farmers; avoiding adverse economic, social and environmental impacts and putting communities at the centre of decision making.
The Albanese government is injecting billions of dollars into subsidising renewable energy projects, either directly or by way of government guarantees, including through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Capacity Investment Scheme.
Unless this expenditure and underwriting arrangements meet strict ‘community first’ guidelines, federal funding for new electricity infrastructure projects should be denied to state governments, transmission companies, wind and solar farm developers and other investors.
Labor is treating regional Australia with contempt and this must stop.
I will be advocating for my proposal to be adopted as Coalition policy which makes clear only the Liberals and Nationals will put our farmers and regional communities first.