Victoria New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West)

Gannawarra Shire Council has held discussions with the Victorian Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio MP and VicGrid representatives about its concerns regarding the construction of VNI West ... the project involves the construction of a 500-kilovolt double circuit transmission line that will connect the Victorian and New South Wales electricity networks.

... Sussan Ley is taking her bat and ball and going home. The tenure of Ms Ley has been marred by Farrer communities being devastated by the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, a plan that her party was the ultimate architect of.

Everyday Australians face another hit to their power bills after Transgrid applied to pass on to consumers the $1.1 billion of their cost over-runs in the 900-kilometre EnergyConnect project between NSW and South Australia. Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster MP said the latest revelation yet again exposes the fallacy that ‘renewable’ energy is not the ‘cheapest form of electricity’.

Carey Brennan. 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.

“This facility sits within a few hundred metres of the proposed Avonbank Heavy Mineral Sands Project. It is dependent on a constant and reliable supply of production from Victoria’s potato growers, who are currently at risk of having their production impacted by the proposed VNI West transmission project”: VFF President Brett Hosking.

Farmers in the path of the controversial VNI West Transmission Project are set to be steamrolled following the issuing of Section 93 notices to landholders along the proposed VNI West transmission project route, effectively granting compulsory access to private land.

"We’ve consistently told TCV they must take a people-first approach and genuinely engage in a meaningful manner.” “Handing landholders a letter saying they will compulsory access their property to do land surveys flanked by a lawyer is completely tone-deaf and will only further add to mounting opposition to this project.”

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has written to state MPs to vote down the contentious VicGrid Amendment Bill that would pave the way for police-backed powers to force entry onto farms and slap landholders with fines of up to $12,100. VFF President Brett Hosking is reiterating previous calls to halt the Bill ahead of it being debated in State Parliament this Thursday.

Hundreds of farmers at Marnoo today are telling the Victorian Labor Government they do not want VNI West, they do not want WRL and they don't want their farmland made into renewable infrastructure," said Dr Anne Webster MP, Member for Mallee and Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government, Territories and Regional Communications.