TRANSMISSION lines through farmland as a result of plans in the draft Victorian Transmission Plan were the subject of criticism from the State Opposition earlier this week, as they called the plans “flawed” and labelled it “mismanagement”.

VicGrid recently released a draft of the Victorian Transmission Plan Guidelines, which set out how they will determine how much renewable energy is needed to be generated where and by when, what transmission projects are required and how they will work with communities and industry to make these decisions.

Chief executive, Alistair Parker said community input would play a crucial role at this stage and throughout the process of developing the Victorian Transmission Plan.

“We are changing the way energy infrastructure is delivered in Victoria and early and meaningful engagement is at the heart of our approach,” he said.

“We need the input of regional communities, farmers, landholders and First Peoples so we can get this right for all Victorians, reduce impacts and deliver real benefits.”

But after the draft guidelines were released for community feedback, the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) soon thereafter aired their concerns, and now the Coalition has also responded.

In a statement, the Opposition said the government was “seeking to rush through new transmission lines and renewable energy zones without proper consultation with regional communities”.

Citing some of the areas marked for development as being “totally inappropriate”, due to their soil composition and rainfall levels, Energy, Affordability and Security shadow minister, David Davis echoed the statement from the VFF that rural communities were being ignored.

“The Allan Labor Government is pushing ahead with its proposals to cover rural Victoria with renewable energy zones and long-distance transmission lines, without genuinely consulting with these communities,” he said.

“Having mismanaged our energy system for a decade, Labor have torn planning powers from councils and communities and are streamrolling local communities across the state.

Lowan MP, Emma Kealy also questioned the approach.

“Labor must explain why it has revoked recently reviewed renewable energy zones across the state and established a new zone in western Victoria without any justification,” she said.

“We must prioritise and protect our prime agricultural zones that contribute so much to our economy.”

A draft Victorian Transmission Plan will be published early in 2025 with a further round of consultation before publication of the final plan by July 2025.

More details about the plan can be found at bit.ly/4bURVo4 and also both days at Sheepvention.