‘It’s just thuggery’: Farmers protest on Spring St steps
Hundreds of Victorian farmers have rallied at Spring St to fight $12,000 penalties for blocking transmission companies from accessing their properties.
Hundreds of farmers and turned out to the steps of Spring St this morning to protest against the proposed legislation that imposes penalties of more than $12,000 on landholders who block transmission companies’ access to properties.
While the protest was organised for the legislation, signs and speeches against renewable energy zones, mining and transmission lines were also present.
Cropping and sheep farmer Will Martin from Brim in Victoria’s Wimmera said the government would rather “wreak injustice, fine us, anything but let us grow food for our country” and that the Labor government “we’re certainly not for rural Australians”.
In regards to the proposed legislation, Mr Martin said it was the “death of democracy, and the first of many other injustices to come”.
Kanya’s Marcia McIntyre said her farm had been placed in a renewable energy zone, and said they’d done everything they could in terms of consultation with VicGrid, but that they were concerned this legislation would give them more power.
“As a community we’re frightened, and we don’t understand why we were ignored, when we did engage with such good faith and so consistently and clearly,” she said.
Wycheproof grain and sheep farmer Greg Roberts said the implementation of renewable energy in Victoria was a massive tax grab.
“The state government is bankrupt, and as best as they can they will use our agricultural land to collect tax payments. That’s what it’s all about,” he said.
He said if the government try and force their way onto land, farmers would “civilly disobey”, while Glendemar sheep farmer Ben Duxson told the crowd if the government want the fight, farmers will create the ‘farmer stockade’ in a nod to the Eureka Stockade, a rebellion of Gold miners in Ballarat in 1854.
John Keane from the Upper Mallee said the main problem was the lack of consultation, with farmers not asked what the consequences are on potential projects.
“One of the main problems up near Boort is that they want to run power lines where irrigators are running,” he said.
“Those irrigators are 500m long some of them, you can’t just pull them out and put them somewhere else.”
Supporters from metro Melbourne were also on hand, including Cheryl and Kevin Morris from Blackburn.
“There’s a lot of people in the suburbs supporting farmers. We know the vote for the farmers is nothing,” Cheryl said.
“It’s just thuggery from what I can see.”
Liberal opposition leader Brad Battin spoke to the crowd and confirmed his party would fight the legislation in both houses this week, and repeal the legislation entirely if elected next November.
Member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien reinforced that they would also repeal the emergency services tax if elected.
