Farmers say “No” to REZ
Wimmera and Mallee farmers have mapped over 600,000 hectares of farmland where landholders have indicated they do not want to be in a Renewable Energy Zone (REZ). The farmers that are in opposition have had their paddocks marked darkest.
Haystacks Solar Garden wins top honour at National Awards
Australia's first large-scale solar garden, Haystacks Solar Garden at Grong Grong, was awarded a top honour at the National Banksia Sustainability Awards in Melbourne last Thursday following its earlier success at the NSW Sustainability Awards. The project won the Marketing and Communications for Impact Award…
Labor blames Liberals
The Albanese government considers the cost of living, access to secure and well-paid jobs, and infrastructure as the most pressing issues for voters in regional towns like Naracoorte. As Australia goes to polls on May 3, a lot is at stake for all political parties. Acknowledging that “people are doing it tough,” the current federal government of four years blames the current challenges to a previous decade of “Liberal neglect.”
Haines gives tax cuts and health funding a tick
Independent Federal Member for Indi, Helen Haines, has welcomed tax cuts and funding to deliver more training places for doctors in regional Australia under key announcements in Tuesday’s federal Budget. Dr Haines’ advocacy for a Commonwealth injection of funding into the regional healthcare workforce was substantially reflected in the 2025-2026 budget.
Bolitho pushes for fair deal in renewable red-carpet walkover
Last week, the Gannawarra Shire Council meeting birthed the first real progress in moving forward with a vision of true community benefit to the transmission lines driving the industrial energy developments within Gannawarra. It’s not the first time a Councillor has asked tough questions on the validity of the community benefit of the projects and sought cheap power.
Failure to transmit the truth in Australia energy future
Affordable, reliable and efficient energy production is a cornerstone of a prosperous nation, but Speakers at a free community energy forum in Moulamein last Wednesday believe that short-term energy politics is leading to a long-term disaster. Aidan Morrison from the Centre for Independent Studies has a background in physics, data science and software development, and believes that Australia’s renewable energy transition, underpinned by the Integrated System Plan (ISP) and CSIRO’s Gen Cost Report, is doomed to fail ...
Steven’s PowerBill and Compare apps: SaaS
Steven as a Service (SaaS) offers two game changing apps that can help you navigate your way to a competitive energy plan comparison and bill calculation - PowerBill™ and Compare.
Expert speakers address concerns
A community forum in Moulamein last week heard of concerns farmers have of the use of productive agricultural land for renewable energy developments. The meeting was organised by a newly formed group Farming First Forum (FFF) and supported by close to 50 attendees from Hay, Moulamein, Booroorban and surrounds.
Seven years for nuclear: Parker
A 1000 megawatt nuclear power station using South Korean expertise could be built in the Latrobe Valley in seven years, with a fleet possibly in 11 years, at an estimated cost of $10 billion each, according to an Australian nuclear expert, Robert Parker.
Confidence growing for new gas field
Lakes Blue Energy is increasingly confident that within a few months, its 21-year struggle to get a new big onshore gas field in South Gippsland up and running, will come to fruition. The company, previously Lakes Oil, has submitted plans to the state government for the Wombat 5 gas well, located a few kilometres west of Seaspray.
Businesses seek compensation
Sarah Herrmann. A fight for justice has begun after revelations that neither ElectraNet nor SA Power Networks are required to compensate customers for the up to 20-hour power and telecommunications outages that hit Yorke Peninsula on Friday, March 14. Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis told the South Australian Parliament on Tuesday, March 18 there is no regulated compensation scheme for transmission network failures...
Govt pressures energy companies to waive daily charge on outages during ex-cyclone Alfred, offers personal hardship payment
More than 84,000 homes and businesses in the Northern Rivers experienced power outages during ex-cyclone Alfred. Some lost power multiple times. The State Government has written to energy companies asking them to defer electricity bills...
Fresh start for Queensland – Community consultation for additional wind farm proposals: Bleijie
The Crisafulli Government is ensuring local communities are consulted on two new wind farm developments, in line with the LNP’s election commitment. Wind farm development applications for the Marmadua Energy Park and the Middle Creek Energy Hub, 23km east of Tara, and 15km south of Wandoan respectively, have been issued with proposed ‘call in’ notices.
Power outage knocks out Yorke Peninsula
Joanna Tucker. Last week, about 25,000 Yorke Peninsula residents were without electricity for almost 20 hours ... SA Power Networks said ElectraNet, South Australia’s main transmission network service provider, advised them that insulator pollution had caused a fault at its Hummocks substation.
Losses all over the peninsula
Rachel Hagan. Businesses across Yorke Peninsula went dark and many closed their doors on Friday, March 14, after the peninsula was hit with a complete power and phone outage. However, some managed to stay open with the use of back-up generators and some out-of-the-box thinking.
Five councils form alliance
Councillors and CEOs from Buloke, Gannawarra, Loddon, Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack Shire Councils, along with representatives from the Municipal Association of Victoria and Rural Councils Victoria, met in Charlton last week to discuss the ongoing impact of transmission lines, renewable energy developments and mining.
Manufacturing expansion fuels push for national rollout of powerline safety technology: IND Technology
Victoria has long faced the devastating impact of powerline-related bushfires, with outdated Single Wire Earth Return powerlines responsible for 30 to 40 fires each year. Despite almost ten years of successful trials, partially funded by the Victorian Government, which prove that early fault detectors for powerlines can prevent bushfires, the technology has yet to be widely rolled out ... ARR.News asked some further questions of IND.T CEO, Professor Alan Wong.
Solar power helps empower local independent schools
Kate Stapleton. Rainbow Power Company (RPC) has been working collaboratively with two local schools this year to help keep schools powering on. The Rainbow Ridge Steiner School and Tuntable Falls Primary School received funding ... both schools have batteries and solar, it means they can continue to operate when the power goes out.
Labor’s cynical agriculture pledge too little, too late: Littleproud
Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said Labor can’t be trusted on its hollow promise to deliver a food security plan, after treating the sector with contempt, with new taxes, soaring energy prices, and a crippling Industrial Relations (IR) and workforce agenda. Mr Littleproud said Labor had ignored calls from industries across the supply chain for almost three years for a security and resilience plan, to get food from paddock to plate.
Out of sight, out of mind
"I focus today on energy policy, because this is a government that 97 times promised before they were elected that they would reduce power bills permanently by $275 per annum. That promise was officially broken on January 1, this year. They hate us talking about it. It was a big promise, it was a bold promise, and it is broken": Member for Mallee, Dr Anne Webster.
Farmer rights at stake in wake of granted electricity licence: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the Essential Services Commission’s decision to grant Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) an electricity transmission licence must not be treated as a license to steamroll landholders in the path of planned renewable energy projects. Amongst a raft of new powers, the licence enables TCV workers to legally enter farms and carry out preparatory works for the VNI West powerline without the need to obtain landholder consent.
Strong opposition to renewable projects on farmland
Nine out of 10 people oppose renewable projects on farmland, a national survey has found. Farming advocacy group Farms for Food launched an online survey in December after Farmers for Climate Action published survey results last September saying seven in 10 people supported renewable projects on farmland.
