Carey Brennan, The Buloke Times
District farmers are resolute in their intention to deny access to Vicgrid and TCV employees trying to access their privately owned farm land along the VNI West 500 KV transmission line corridor.
In the last two weeks, TCV badged employees have asked landowners for permission to enter farmland at Bungaluke, Glenloth, Teddywaddy, Wooroonook, Greens Creek, Wallaloo, Gre Gre and Normanville. All claim the right to access under Section 93 of the Essential Services Act but they are still required to have landowner permission to enter.
Once a landowner agrees to access they would have no say on where TCV/Vicgrid’s employees can go on their farm including driving across crops that are ready to harvest. Therefore, access has been denied at each point of entry.
Surveys
TCV wants to carry out ecological surveys along creek frontage and heavily wooded areas on properties that are projected to be under the 85 metre high transmission towers. Not all the land is open farmland; some areas are very environmentally sensitive and diverse.
Farmers are denying access for several reasons, these have been raised with TCV at community consultation on several occasions and have been ignored. Issues include not only Biosecurity, Occupational Health and Safety, Firefighting and Public Liability Insurance, but also environmental damage to biodiverse areas including flood plains as well as endangered species of both plants and animals.
Numbers
Numbers attending in support of farmers are growing, starting with approximately 40 people at Bungaluke and Wallaloo and increasing to more than 100 people at Wooroonook and Teddywaddy. Police were in attendance at the Bungaluke property at the request of impacted local farmers.
Our local communities and towns are coming together in support of farmers, they are also talking to their city families and friends about how badly this State Government is treating us and how it will affect the security of our food supply in the long run.
Fires
Farmers and local CFA Brigades have spoken out about firefighting issues relating to the high voltage transmission lines. These fears were reinforced when the Wooroonook fire broke out on Friday, 21st November. The paddock of barley crop adjoins the transmission line corridor and was destroyed when a fire started on the road side. Aerial fire units being two fire bombers and the helitak were deployed for this fire and stopped the flames from entering the Wooroonook Lakes Reserve with the backing of
Wooroonook, Jeffcott and Corack CFA trucks. Six additional CFA trucks were also involved in fighting the fire.
Major concern
The major concern is if the VNI West transmission line is built, aerial fire fighters will no longer be available as it is too dangerous to deploy them around the high voltage lines due to smoke and electricity arcing. CFA trucks are supposed to remain at least 100 metres away from the 70 metre corridor which means a fire will burn uncontrolled. CFA members are concerned that they have no training or the specific equipment required to deal with these dangerous conditions, which includes turbine and battery fires.
Farming families in the Wimmera Mallee are being affected by many different projects including turbines, batteries and mines; their communities are worried about the mental health of our people as the State Government is unrelenting in its push to cover our beautiful Wimmera Mallee farmland with turbines and mines all owned by overseas corporations.
Wrong place
VNI West will not keep the lights on for Victoria as without WRL (Western Renewables Link), which has been stalled for more than 5 years and is also being protested, it will be incomplete. This line project has been mapped to be built in the wrong place for the wrong reasons. Impacted farmers are well organized and will continue to deny access through peaceful community rallies.
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 2 December 2025.
