The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, and Member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, have stood with frustrated residents at a packed Glenrowan Hotel community meeting recently, to oppose the rapid industrialisation of the north-east by large-scale renewable projects.
Locals from Glenrowan, Winton, Benalla, and surrounding districts raised serious alarms over the pace of approvals, citing devastating impacts on prime farmland, waterways, and heightened bushfire risks for already stretched CFA volunteers.
The meeting follows The Nationals’ announcement of a full review into Victoria’s transmission plan, sparked by shocking Allan Labor Government data revealing the vast majority of renewable projects are leapfrogging designated Renewable Energy Zones (REZs).
Official figures expose a complete lack of planning oversight:
- Operating: Of the 86 renewable projects operating in Victoria, just 19 are inside a proposed REZ.
- Under Construction: Of the 16 projects currently under construction, only nine are inside a zone.
- Approved Pipeline: Labor has approved 111 projects across Victoria, with a mere 34 sitting within proposed REZs.
- Permitted: Of the 15 projects with planning permits under construction, seven sit completely outside those zones.
Ms Cleeland said the figures proved Labor had lost control of energy planning while stripping regional communities of their right to a say.
“Farmers and landholders across the north-east are being silenced by a Labor Government determined to bulldoze through transmission lines and industrial-scale projects,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Regional Victorians should not carry the burden of an energy transition that Melbourne demands but refuses to build in its own backyard.”
Ms Cleeland said The Nationals’ Urban Solar Parks policy was a smarter alternative, generating power on industrial rooftops and commercial precincts rather than swallowing prime agricultural land.
“We will reinstate communities’ rights to appeal these developments and give local people a genuine seat at the table,” she said.
Mr McCurdy backed these concerns, stating north-east communities had been treated with contempt.
“People feel completely shut out,” Mr McCurdy said. “Families are asking legitimate questions about fire risks, battery storage, and flood overlays, but they are being met with arrogance.
“We will give regional communities their voices back and ensure regional Victorians are treated as partners in energy policy, not collateral damage.”
