‘Major concern’: Fears renewable energy will scar regional communities forever

Regional Victorians are warning the push for renewable energy in prime agricultural areas could forever scar their communities as a map reveals the zones could cover up to 70 per cent of the state.

Victoria is overhauling planning laws in regional areas to pave the way for the mass rollout of solar fields, wind farms, battery storage and transmission lines.

But, farmers, regional businesses and environmentalists fear the push for renewable energy in prime agriculture areas will leave regions and its communities scarred forever.

The state government has released the first map of potential Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) as part of their ongoing $540m renewable energy transition plan.

The map highlights that up to 70 per cent of the state could potentially host renewable technologies and the high voltage lines needed to connect them to the grid.

Renewable Energy study zones, which will be used to help identify areas which play a role in solar, wind and transmission projects in 2025 and beyond. Source: VicGrid

Tier 1 locations have been identified across the Lodden Mallee, Central Highlands, and Wimmera. While to the east, Gippsland areas have been given the rating of tier 3.

Some regions have been exempt, including the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges and most of the state’s high country, which are considered too important agriculturally or not suitable for renewable projects.

VicGrid, the body set up by the Labor government to engage the public in REZs and energy projects has been holding public consultation on the proposed areas in preparation to release a secondary map with more specific locations where the new zones will be.

But, communities across the state are fearful that the consultation is a sham and the state intends to plough ahead with renewable zones wherever they see fit.

Trent, Katherine, Henry and Charles Carter with David, Marianne and baby Adele Duxson, Jack Duxson and Scott Duxson, Marcia McIntyre, Armand and baby Nathan Duxson at the sight of proposed transmission lines near Kanya. Picture: Rob Leeson

Sheep and cropping farmer Marcia McIntyre, 42, from the Wimmera said agricultural communities are highly “distressed” by the maps.

“We’ve been to every meeting, we’ve done every public consultation and said we don’t want our community to host renewable energy projects. We are a farming community, but this map comes out and we are in a tier 1 area,” she said.

“Effectively it means that the whole community is going to be impacted.

“It will be an extremely industrialised zone with infrastructure, transmission lines, batteries and substations.

“The amount of land that’s going to be required for these projects is immense and therefore you have an enormous clash with food security and biodiversity, that no one is even talking about.”

“We just want to grow food for Australia not host renewables.”

Locals are deeply unhappy with the prospect of introducing renewables. Picture: Rob Leeson.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said the release of the map was a major concern.

“It’s seems like there’s no strategic planning or protections for agricultural food production. “It’s just forge ahead for renewables at any cost.

“We told VicGrid that we need a model that has specific data and includes thing like irrigation channels, but this map essentially looks like 70 per cent of the state has the potential for renewables, which we said don’t do that.”

The Victorian Renewable Energy Zones Development Plan, released by the Labor Government in 2021, revealed that huge swathes of land would be needed for renewable projects across the state to transform “from a power system that has traditionally supplied electricity from a small number of very large electricity generators”.

More land is now necessary given offshore wind projects are not gaining the approval they need.

The plan highlighted that farming communities opposing projects would be a significant barrier to introducing renewables and that the REZs would be pinnacle to get projects in fast.

The REZ consultation comes as the state and the Australian Energy Market Operator continues to battle landholders make way for the 400km of high voltage powerlines to connect New South Wales and Victoria, in preparation for future renewables.

The plan has met huge backlash for farming communities in the state’s north with landowners refusing to let planning contractors and workmen onto their land.

The backlash has led to huge “buckets” of taxpayer cash being offered in order to entice farmers to come on board.

Landowners with lines on their properties will be paid $8000 per kilometre a year over 25 years by the state government.

But many have refused the offer and “closed the gate” causing huge delays for the VNI West project.

Locals say the map is a ‘major concern’. Picture: Rob Leeson

In March, in a bid to get more regional Victorians on-board the Allan Government announced earlier this year that farmers not directly impacted by the projects would also be entitled to cash and could seek one-off payments of up to $40,000 if the towers spoiled their view.

One landholder told the Herald Sun, “they are throwing buckets of cash around but it’s not working. People are afraid of the long-term desecration this will cause. This is entire regional areas changed forever.”

Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said the final plan for REZs will be narrowed down from the map currently being circulated.

“The initial study area represents more than what Victoria needs, now we’re working with local communities and stakeholders to narrow this down to much smaller areas for future renewable energy zones,” she said.

“We established VicGrid to coordinate renewable energy planning, ensuring we build the right infrastructure in the right place, include local communities early in the planning process, and protect our energy, food and water security.”

Consultation will be carried out until September 30 and the government have committed to come back with a more narrowed plan in early 2025.