Patrick Tucker, The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper

Farmers across the region are preparing for a series of VicGrid visits to properties in the coming weeks, as part of ongoing efforts to conduct ecological studies linked to the proposed VNI West transmission project.

Visits are scheduled across two properties today, forming part of a broader process that has drawn concern from some landholders.

Dingwall farmer Colin Fenton said the visits follow a previous attempt by representatives to access properties in the area.

“This is the second attempt from VicGrid to get access to our properties to do the ecological study,” he said.

Mr Fenton said concerns within the community centre on communication and a lack of clear answers to questions raised by landholders.

“People are asking questions and have been doing so for some time, and there’s no answers coming forth,” he said.

More than 100 farmers recently attended a Victorian Farmers Federation meeting in St Arnaud to hear from legal and industry experts about land access and acquisition processes related to transmission projects.

Mr Fenton said the issue extended beyond individual properties, with multiple farms expected to be approached in the coming weeks.

“There’s 27 farms from Bulgana to Murrabit that will be visited over the next two to three weeks,” he said.

Mr Fenton stated that many landholders remained uncertain about how the process would unfold and what it might mean for their properties.

“There’s no way known under the present system that all of those farms are going to allow access,” he said.

“So they’re going to have to come up with a better story than what we’re getting at the moment.

Mr Fenton said the potential impact on farming operations was a major concern.

“On my irrigation farm, it’s laid out to permanent pasture, with lucerne established.”

He said a VicGrid representative indicated the impact of construction would mean the whole paddock would have to be replaced, and it would take four years to re-establish.

He also mentioned that while compensation had been raised, it did not address the longer-term impact on productivity. “When I raised that, I was told, ‘We’ll just have to pay you compensation.'”

Mr Fenton said he had also sought advice on the potential effect on land values. “I spoke to two real estate agents locally, and both said it would be a waste of time putting the property on the market,” he said.

Gannawarra Shire Mayor Garner Smith is set to attend today’s visits amid growing concern from local landholders about how the process is being handled. “I’m getting a sense of a lack of respect coming out from the government and VicGrid with regard to farmers’ land,” Cr Smith said.

“That stems from when myself and other councillors met with the Minister to raise concerns about compulsory access and acquisition.

“We presented a solution to build social licence, but the very next week they pushed through changes to compulsory powers in Parliament.”

He said the issue extended beyond a single project, raising broader concerns about how regional communities were considered in major infrastructure decisions.

“Does the government and does VicGrid respect farmers’ land, rural land, productive land, as much as they would respect someone’s backyard in Melbourne?” he said.

Cr Smith said regional communities should not be expected to carry the burden without proper consideration, and “I think that we’re taken for granted.”

While acknowledging the need for energy infrastructure, Cr Smith said the way projects are delivered would ultimately determine community support.

“If this is necessary, then earn the social licence,” he said.

“If we’re going to host this infrastructure and live with it every day, then we should be adequately compensated.”

He said any long-term approach should also deliver tangible benefits to the communities hosting the infrastructure, and that “If we’re doing something the state or the country needs, then regional communities should share in that.”

He pointed to opportunities such as improved access to affordable energy and broader economic benefits for the region.

VicGrid has previously said the visits are part of environmental surveys required for the project and are needed to inform planning and assessment work.

Further visits are expected to continue across the region in the coming weeks.

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 23 April 2026.