IT’S an adage that the ends justify the means – but is that always the case?
In recent months, I have been vocal in my support for farmers and communities impacted by the Victoria-New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) project – a 500kv transmission line running from Bulgana near Stawell and into New South Wales.
Over the weekend, a second Ministerial Order was made by Victorian Labor Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio which saw the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) change the route of VNI West to now pass just East of Kerang, another twist in the saga.
The first Ministerial Order by the Victorian Labor Government in February altered the original KerangLink route to severely impact on Mallee farmland throughout the Northern Grampians, Wimmera and Loddon regions.
Prior to that I had been supportive of, and even strongly advocated for, what was KerangLink – when it was understood to be an upgrade of existing lower voltage infrastructure through Bendigo.
VNI West is now closer to the original KerangLink, supported by the Ganawarra Shire, but the increase in the size and height of towers and voltage unacceptably impacts on Mallee farmers throughout the electorate.
Nobody should accept the poor treatment they received from AEMO and Labor Governments both State and Federal throughout this process.
Tokenistic consultation has played communities for fools, bombarding them with high-level jargon so bureaucratic boxes could be ticked.
Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen, while repeatedly espousing the essential role of social licence, has yet to ensure respectful consultation takes place to bring about social licence.
Demanding communities become subservient through Ministerial Orders is no way to assure a successful roll out. The community deserves answers to the questions they pose.
Mallee has been treated as a dumping ground for bad policy by Governments expediting a renewables agenda, regardless of the cost.
It is not good enough.
