REACTION has been swift and strong following the public release on Wednesday by Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) of their “preferred easement” for the Victorian section of the VNI (Victoria-New South Wales Interconnector) West transmission project.

TCV said liaison workers have contacted landholders affected in the last four weeks, “to listen to concerns, answer questions about the impact of the easement on their land and discuss the next steps.”

The initial 50-kilometre-wide area of interest was narrowed down to a 2km draft corridor and was now a 70-metre line running mostly south and south-west from Murrabit on the Murray River north of Kerang, joining with the Western Renewables Link at Bulgana, north of Ararat.

TCV claim the 240-kilometre route “has been shaped by 18 months of consultation with communities and individual landholders, along with field studies and technical and engineering assessments”, but the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) president, Emma Germano immediately delivered a rebuke, claiming “inadequate consultation with affected communities and a disregard for the impact on strategic agricultural land”.

“From the very outset of this process, we’ve witnessed a reality that steamrolls over the voices and rights of those in farming communities set to be impacted,” she said.

“VNI West will traverse over some of the state’s most important agricultural land. These are areas of strategic significance for Victoria’s economy, yet this has never been factored into the planning of the line.”

Similarly scathing was The Nationals leader, David Littleproud, who said the preferred route showed a choice “to put ideology before food production amid a cost-of-living crisis”.

“This decision will put farming in Victoria at risk, forcing farmers to walk away if they aren’t successful in their fight,” he said.

“When supply goes down, prices go up. Labor’s all-renewables approach is coming at the expense of our agriculture industry and families will pay for this decision at the check-out.

“The farming community is devastated by this decision but is determined to fight it. The Nationals 100 per cent support our Victorian farmers.”

VNI West program director, Tony Hedley said the public release aligned with the project’s commitment “to prioritise communications with landholders with properties within the planned transmission route”.

“Contacting landholders over the past few weeks has been our priority,” Mr Hedley said.

“We’ve spoken with more than 180 landholders within the preferred easement and already had more than 30 follow-up meetings to answer questions on topics such as compensation, land valuation, land access, options to minimise impacts to individual farms, and to discuss the next steps.

“We have also spoken with almost 300 near neighbours that are now outside the preferred easement, but have property close by. We’ll continue to work with neighbours and landholders as we progress planning and design for the project over coming months.”

But the VFF said the route “cut through prime farmland” that was critical to Victoria’s agricultural industry, adding that their submission to the Victorian Transmission Plan “mapped out and emphasised the importance of safeguarding specific areas from renewable energy zones and transmission infrastructure”.

“Unfortunately, despite this work, we understand that both the VNI-West project and the Western Renewables Link will not be covered by the government’s new transmission plan,” Ms Germano said.

“The VFF is calling on the Victorian Government to pause both projects immediately. It’s vital that these projects are re-evaluated under the guidance of the Victorian Government’s transmission planning, rather than simply pushed through by the Australian Energy Market Operator.”

“This is a matter of safeguarding our food security and supporting a balanced approach to renewable energy expansion.”

Kanya farmer, Ben Duxson, whose property could be impacted by about 1.5 kilometres of transmission lines, said he was prepared to go to court over the decision.

“We know this is no good for Australia, this isn’t right for agriculture, food sustainability or food affordability,” he said.

“Once they try and put 70 per cent renewables in our farmland, we never get it back. We are an agriculture country that needs to produce food. We have other energy sources out there. The alternative is nuclear, not ripping up prime agriculture land. None of it is good for food consumers or energy consumers. It just increases the cost in both areas and makes no sense.”

Cattle, sheep and wheat Marnoo farmer, Billy Baldwin said the community would fight, even if it came down to compulsory land acquisition.

He faced about 1.4 kilometres of lines through his property.

“We are not going to give it to them, we will have to stand at the gate,” Mr Baldwin said.

“The company now plans to get a transmission licence, so they can get more power over us, a bigger stick.

“But to us it makes no difference, we will be ready to fight. We will protect our community, our home and our right to farm.”

Yeungroon farmer, Glenden Watts said the whole project wasn’t necessary.

“The project hasn’t been done correctly, it’s a political decision,” he said.

“The route does a dog-leg into farming land, rather than the populated areas.

“This is almost dictatory or communism. I don’t believe in taking away people’s rights to farm or contest the decision. I don’t believe in this project. This isn’t Australian to come in and do what they are doing.”

Gre Gre farmer, Jason Barrett, who has sheep, cattle and wheat, barley and canola, said the one-kilometre line through his property would also restrict the way farmers can farm.

“There would be height restrictions, even to the point at time of day,” Mr Barrett said.

“We harvest in summer and there will be temperature restrictions also, not being able to use machinery underneath the lines. We need to farm on warmer days because that’s the nature of farming.

“There is no way we are going to lay down. We are united in our fight.”

TCV announced it was running community information sessions in towns nearby the route to provide “an opportunity for people to find out more about the project and how to participate in the EES assessment process.”

More information can be found at transmissionvictoria.com.au