VNI West fight: 21 CFA brigades join 150 landholders in campaign

CFA firefighters have joined 150 landholders in a campaign of resistance against a 500kV transmission line to be built in western Victoria.

21 CFA brigades have signed off on refusing to enter properties to fight fires caused by transmission lines, such as VNI West or those sparked by battery, wind and solar farm fires.

Opposition to the Victoria-NSW Interconnector West ramped up this week, with 21 CFA brigades joining 150 landholders in a campaign of resistance against the 500kV transmission line and its 80m towers.

The landholders, 80 of whom hold properties straddling 140kms of the proposed VNI West transmission corridor, have signed a declaration denying project proponent Transmission Company Victoria access to their land, for a powerline designed to feed more renewable electricity into Sydney and Melbourne.

Map showing boundaries of 80 landholders' properties (in red) that straddle the proposed VNI West corridor (in blue), who have signed a declaration refusing Transmission Company Victoria access.

“We, the undersigned, declare that any access to our properties, within or adjacent to the proposed route, is denied for on-ground works or surveys involved with the planning and construction of the VNI West Transmission Project,” the declaration states.

“This includes TCV staff, engaged contractors or any company seeking to progress this project. This project has been imposed, without notice or consultation on a productive, harmonious and environmentally aware rural community whose shared vision is the efficient production of food and fibre to sustain our nation and others around the world.”

Sutherland farmer Barry Batters, who has about 4kms of the line crossing his property, said the $4 billion project should be halted, especially in the light of Australian Energy Market Operator chief executive Daniel Westerman’s admission that there was no guarantee more renewables would lead to cheaper electricity bills.

“If the power is not going to be cheaper, then the project (VNI West) needs to stop,” Mr Batters said.

He said the VNI West rollout and renewables rush was already dividing rural communities, especially further north around Birchip and Kerang.

“I’ve never seen these communities like this,” Mr Batters said. “A few want the project, but the majority don’t, which is tearing them apart.”

Gre Gre Village volunteer CFA captain Peter Knights said 21 local brigades had told CFA head office they would not enter properties to fight fires ignited by transmission lines, wind turbines or batteries, taking a “perimeter-only defence position” instead.

He said most CFA volunteers in the region were not resourced to fight electricity fires and that they were “farmers first, firefighters second.”

“We’re not slaves and we’re not going to be taken away from our primary purpose, which is food production, to provide firefighting services for (mainly) foreign-owned industrial energy generators,” Mr Knights said.