THE State Government has done it again, rammed through legislation that hands farmers a gift they didn’t ask for, and can’t refuse, all in the name of fast-tracking transmission projects.
The VicGrid Stage 2 Reform Bill isn’t just controversial; it is a brazen overreach that puts farmers, landowners, and regional communities at risk.
Under this new law, VicGrid officers can enter private land using “reasonable force.” That means cutting locks, breaking gates, and removing obstructions, without so much as a courtesy call.
If landholders resist? They face fines of up to $12,210. This is not government efficiency, it’s state-sanctioned intimidation.
Farmers across Victoria now face a Faustian bargain: watch energy companies invade their property or pay thousands for standing their ground.
Regional communities are being treated as expendable in Labor’s ideological energy push. For a government that boasts about supporting Victorians, this is nothing short of a betrayal. The message is clear: your land, your livelihood, your rights, don’t matter when they stand in the way of Labor’s agenda.
It is telling that the bill passed only with the support of the Greens, the Animal Justice Party, and the Cannabis Party, all apparently more committed to expedience than the welfare of those who feed and sustain the state. Meanwhile, voices warning of biosecurity risks, liability issues, and animal welfare have been ignored.
Yes, you read that right. Standing up for your own farm is now illegal. Forget consent, negotiations, or common decency. Labor has decided that efficiency trumps courtesy, and apparently, fines are the perfect substitute for a handshake.
Meanwhile, The Nationals promise repeal if they ever return to government, though one wonders if there’s anyone left in rural Victoria who still trusts politicians to respect basic rights.
So here’s the takeaway: Victoria’s farmers can now enjoy the thrill of government-sanctioned home invasion, fines for daring to object, and the sheer excitement of cleaning up the mess afterwards. It’s bold, it’s “progressive,” and it’s a lesson in how far a government can stretch its power while smiling and calling it reform.
That is not hyperbole, it is reality. Labor’s VicGrid Bill does not just fast-track electricity projects; it fast-tracks a breakdown in trust between government and the people it is supposed to protect.
This is more than policy, it is a moral failing. It signals to rural Victoria that their homes, their fences, their animals, and their hard work are expendable. Until then, Victoria’s farmers are left to bear the brunt of a law that treats them as obstacles rather than citizens.
The VicGrid Bill is not reform. It is an assault on property rights, on safety, and on common sense. And it is high time Victorians said so. But then that’s just my opinion.
