Victorian Farmers Federation calls for better recognition of agricultural land

The VFF agreed on its Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy last month.

President Emma Germano said the increase in renewable energy would lead to more instances of companies trying to access agricultural land.

Ms Germano said wherever possible, it should be the landowner's right to chose, but the VFF's position was that projects should follow existing infrastructure on public land where possible, and if private land had to be crossed then undergrounding was the preferred transmission method.

Farmers also needed adequate compensation to recognise their operations would be completely disrupted, she said.

Potato growers around Ballarat had raised concerns that the transmission project would prevent the use of large machinery, including irrigators, beneath and around overhead powerlines.

Ms Germano said AusNet's project pointed to a larger problem of agriculture not being properly considered or understood when it came to planning n.

"Whatever route is taken by any project has to have the least impact on farming systems as possible," she said.

"Whereas what we kind of end up seeing, and even in the narrative around this particular transmission line, is that it's just straight through farmers' land, no consideration of what farming systems they use.

"There just seems to be this mentality of no appreciation of farming and its value - not just the intermediate value to the state, but its historical and ongoing value.

"We'll be looking at either an amendment to current legislation or a piece of legislation to actually be presenting to political parties coming into their elections, to get a commitment around this notion of valuing agricultural land.

"Every time there's a solar farm or a wind farm we're going to see this continue to happen."

The Marinus Link, which will run from northern Tasmania to the La Trobe valley, was another example of inadequate consultation, she said.

"We've got power companies and whatnot thinking that they can just tear straight through the middle of agricultural land no matter where it suits them," she said.

"It's a really bullying tactic.

"Not only are we at risk of losing this agricultural land or disrupting agricultural business without proper a) consultation, b) compensation, but we really fail to acknowledge the human cost of the whole thing.

"It can be so unbelievably stressful for a farmer who's just been told, 'we're coming through your land, and there's just about nothing you can do about it'.

"The mental health implications and the wellbeing of our regions is actually at stake as well."

It was important to develop a statewide approach going forward, but there was still time for AusNet to adapt the project to respond to concerns, she said.

"We know that companies like this - not just AusNet, but many companies that do this - is they start with something that looks totally unpalatable to the community," she said.

"The company absolutely have the opportunity to change the way they are going about it currently and to consider those things that are being put before them, not just by the VFF but by the community groups there that are completely vocal about it."

Nathan Lidgett from the Moorabool and Central Highlands Power Alliance said AusNet recently released a corridor of interest to the media instead of contacting landowners.

Mr Lidgett said when notices to landowners were delivered 14 months ago, those affected had used those properties to estimate the project area.

The latest route announced by AusNet was the same area, even after more than a year of consultation and numerous concerns raised about the route.

It confirmed many community members' views that AusNet had made a decision on the project and was not prepared to compromise, he said.

He described AusNet's consultation as 'deplorable.'

It comes as several members of AusNet's community consultation panel resigned, citing concerns they were not being listened to and the company was refusing to disclose information.

"You've got four shires that it goes through and not one wants it in the current form," Mr Lidgett said.

"No one's against renewable energy but the project in its current manner and the proposed route seems to be flawed in many senses."

He was concerned that the way the project only took into account the cost of construction and did not factor in the economic implications.

As a fifth generation farmer, he is also personally impacted by the project, with the proposed route likely to cross five of his seven blocks of land.

"You've got a lot of attachment to your land, your business," he said.

"Yes, I'm against it as a property owner, but I'm against it as a community member as well."

In a statement, an AusNet Services spokesperson said it understood the concerns of some landholders and local community members and ongoing consultation was a priority.

"We are still in the early planning stages of this project and there will be many opportunities for landowners and the community to provide further input as the Environment Effects Statement process continues," the statement read.

"There are some questions we cannot answer until our intensive technical investigations are complete.

"Our team of dedicated land agents are in the process of personally contacting every landholder in the single corridor and seeking their individual feedback.

"This includes discussions with farmers to understand their specific operational farming concerns, and providing assistance including discussing where adaptations to their operations might be needed and compensated for."

It's understood AusNet recently confirmed most operations related to potato farming could continue under overhead transmission lines, such as centre-pivot and lateral moving irrigators.