The Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner, Tony Mahar, met with locals in Moulamein on Tuesday to listen to their experience of the country’s energy transition to date.

“It’s an independent role that is charged with addressing problems and concerns in the community right across the country around energy infrastructure and the community engagement that’s happening,” said Mr Mahar, describing his role.

It wasn’t long before the community members shared how the recent community engagement surrounding VNI West left them frustrated, disillusioned and angry.

From a revolving door of on-ground staff who never provided answers to questions, to workers leaving gates open, exposing producers to biosecurity risks and concerns of environmental contamination, and even the possibility of these unconstrained projects bankrupting the nation in providing huge profits for foreign-owned entities.

Unfortunately, many of the complaints heard were not new to Commissioner Mahar.

“Community engagement is nowhere near where it needs to be,” said Mr Mahar.

“People feel like they’re being ignored, and again, this was all in the community engagement review that Andrew Dyer did. They don’t feel like they’re being listened to. They don’t feel like there is information available to help them make decisions. They don’t know where to turn to so they’re feeling overwhelmed with the complexity of the issue.”

“There are concerns, consistent concerns around insurance, around decommissioning, around environmental concerns being adequately taken into account in the decision-making process, and there’s not enough awareness of why and how and who is making the decisions.”

The concerns captured by Mr Mahar will be fed back to the relevant Government Minister’s and also energy industry leaders.

“My main agenda, is to make sure that decision makers, whether it’s planning ministers or energy companies, are aware of what’s happening on the ground.”

“It is crystal clear for me, so my task is to make sure it’s crystal clear for them and to get them to do something about it.”

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 26 June 2025.