The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the Essential Services Commission’s decision to grant Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) an electricity transmission license must not be treated as a license to steamroll landholders in the path of planned renewable energy projects.
Amongst a raft of new powers, the license enables TCV workers to legally enter farms and carry out preparatory works for the VNI West powerline without the need to obtain landholder consent.
VFF President Brett Hosking said landholders and farmers have reacted with trepidation to the announcement and TCV has a duty to act respectfully and in good faith with impacted landholders and communities.
“TCV’s newly minted electricity transmission license doesn’t trump their social license obligations.”
“There is a genuine sense of uneasiness around this decision and it boils down to a deplorable track record when it comes to these companies treating landholders and communities with respect.”
“We absolutely cannot lose focus that those impacted are generational farming families and not ‘soft targets’ for compulsory access. These people are the glue of our regional communities and they deserve to be treated with dignity.”
“I have conveyed the VFF’s views strongly to TCV and we will be keeping an eagle eye out for any conduct that oversteps the line.”
“The VFF is continuing to call on the Victorian Government to pause the VNI West project immediately until they get the community and landholder engagement right. We can’t stand idle and watch as prime agriculture land is irreversibly destroyed without consideration to the agriculture industry and the farming livelihoods at stake.”
“Once destroyed, these landscapes can never be restored,” Mr Hosking said.