Regional landholders under threat from Labor’s transmission takeover

The Nationals' Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, has slammed new legislation proposed by the state government that would allow government officials and transmission companies to enter private farmland without consent, and hit landholders with steep fines if they object. The National Electricity (Victoria) Amendment (VicGrid Stage 2 Reform) Bill hands sweeping powers to VicGrid and “authorised officers,” including the right to forcibly access private property and issue penalties to landholders who resist. “This is an outrageous attack on private property rights, and a slap in the face to every regional Victorian trying to protect their farm, their family, and their future,” Ms Cleeland said. “Labor’s answer to community concerns isn’t consultation – it’s coercion. “Farmers already battling drought, soaring costs, and mounting uncertainty are now being told they’ll be fined for simply standing up for their land.” Ms Cleeland said the legislation comes amid deepening unrest in regional towns like Meadow Creek, Colbinabbin, Stanhope, and Girgarre, which have already been flagged for major energy projects with little genuine consultation. “People are rightly worried – not just about losing productive farmland, but about biosecurity risks, disrupted livelihoods, and the long-term damage to our farming communities,” she said. “Instead of backing regional Victorians during one of the toughest seasons in recent memory, this government is threatening them with fines and bulldozing their rights.” Ms Cleeland said that while investment in energy infrastructure is necessary, it must not come at the cost of community trust or farmland security. “Our communities are not opposed to renewables or modernisation - what they are opposed to is being steamrolled by a government that refuses to listen. “This is not how you build trust or deliver long-term energy solutions. "It’s how you alienate the very people you rely on to feed and power the state.”

Regional landholders under threat from Labor’s transmission takeover

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