Last Friday’s heatwave saw far-reaching planned electricity outages across Victoria.
Though the heat was forecast, farmers had no warning about the extent and timing of the outages.
While commuters in Melbourne were worried about traffic lights going out, farmers were focused on the welfare of their animals when power is cut to cooling in sheds, and trying to keep milk cool and fresh to prevent it from having to be tipped down the drain.
Anyone concerned about animal welfare and food safety, must also be concerned about reliable, accessible energy for the farmers producing our food.
As is already the case with upgrades to the grid, residents should receive prior warning via text and email of planned electricity outages due to heatwaves.
This would give farmers an opportunity to plan around outages.
In the longer term, the Labor Government, as outlined in their 2018 election platform, has set their sights on “a just transition to Victoria’s affordable, reliable and clean energy future”.
I welcome this vision, but I caution the government against clean-energy tunnel-vision, without ensuring they have a plan to invest in the required infrastructure that will deliver affordable and reliable energy for all businesses.
I will be meeting with Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio next week, and I look forward to discussing with her the need for a long-term energy plan for Victoria.
Energy security and planned outages are hot topics every summer, yet each time the weather cools, so too does the government’s focus on this essential service.
Victorian farmers cannot wait another summer before the government gets its act together.
- David Jochinke, Victorian Farmers Federation president