Land invasion potential
Dear Editor,
Labor’s panicked rush to roll-out wind and solar farms across 70 per cent of Victoria’s agricultural land has escalated into completely unfair and dangerous territory, with Labor making laws that allow government employees free rein to enter private land without permission of landowners.
Under a new Bill introduced to Parliament by Labor, landholders who prioritise the biosecurity of their land and protection of their stock face fines of up to $12,000, simply for not allowing transmission line personnel on their land before any permission or financial compensation agreement is reached.
It’s no wonder country people are frustrated and outraged when their views, knowledge and opinions – even landholder permission – doesn’t matter to the Allan Labor Government.
The Nationals, in government, will restore the voice of regional Victorians on renewables.
We will bring back the “third umpire”, giving landholders the right to appeal to VCAT.
We will also introduce a 2km buffer between wind turbines and homes protecting families and communities.
We will introduce a community benefits fund that ensures you get a fair legacy investment in your community in return for hosting these projects, because Labor’s potholes, health service cuts and rising energy bills simply don’t cut it.
But most importantly, we will unlock low carbon emissions gas reserves to deliver low cost and low emissions energy, and bring down the cost of energy for every Victorian household and business.
It is all about fairness, proper consultation and the best outcomes for our regional people and communities.
The Nationals will always put Victoria’s rural and regional people and our communities first.
Emma Kealy MP
Deputy Leader of The Nationals
Inland Rail Turning Towns Upside Down
Dear Editor,
As a resident of Mitchell Shire, I feel compelled to speak out about the havoc the Inland Rail project is wreaking on our local communities—particularly in Wandong and Broadford.
What was once a quiet, semi-rural area with strong community ties is now being torn apart—literally and figuratively—by a project that seems to prioritise freight over families. Residents are grappling with excessive noise, traffic disruptions, dust, tree clearing, and vague timelines. In Wandong, access to homes and businesses has become a daily ordeal. In Broadford, concerns are mounting over potential impacts on heritage sites and the town’s amenity.
The lack of clear communication from ARTC and the State Government only adds insult to injury. Promises of community consultation have felt more like box-ticking exercises than genuine engagement. Locals are understandably angry—and rightly so.
Yes, infrastructure matters. Yes, national freight needs improvement. But it should not come at the expense of the people who live along the rail corridor.
We are not just a line on a logistics map. We are communities.
It’s time for the powers that be to listen, rethink, and ensure that progress doesn’t bulldoze the very towns it’s meant to connect.
John McInnes
Heathcote Junction
Reliability questioned
Dear Editor,
The Andrew’s Labor government trumpeted in 2022 that 95 per cent of Victoria’s electrical needs will be powered by “renewable energy” by 2035.
Sun and wind, primarily within 10 years and no role for coal or gas juving the future a snowflake’s chance in Hell.
Then there is the important question about “reliability of supply” in the depths of our chilly Winters and the furnace of our Summers.
The sun does not shine and the wind does not blow, on demand. Yet another case of ideology trumping common sense.
Michael J Gamble
Belmont