The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) urges the Australian Government to initiate a robust review report on community engagement in renewable energy projects in 2024.
Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Andrew Dyer was charged with reviewing community engagement practices in renewable energy infrastructure projects, presenting his findings to the Federal Government in December.
NFF President David Jochinke said the review is a positive step and an opportunity for the government to alleviate farmers’ uncertainty.
“This isn’t a NIMBY situation. Farmers support the transition to renewable energy, but they don’t want to see these projects being prioritised over growing food and fibre,” Jochinke stated.
“Often there are far better solutions, like taking projects along fencelines or in unproductive paddocks but the energy companies rarely stop to listen to these smart solutions.”
The proposed 1.5 kilometres of overhead transmission lines are intended to cross Katherine Myers’ farm in Victorian Australia.
“The issue of transmission is huge. The Federal Government is planning 10,000 kms of new transmission lines in Australia over the next 10 to 20 years — our farm is just 1.5 kms,” Myers said.
“That’s thousands of additional farmers or landholders out there who are going to be affected by this. It goes right from Northern Queensland to the southern tips of Tasmania,” she stated.
Farming surrounding high-voltage electricity is subject to extreme rigours laws, and Katherine’s family will be unable to grow potatoes on that site due to overhead transmission lines.
Katherine advocates for the underground installation of proposed transmission lines for a safer, more efficient, and sustainable grid for the next 100 years, replacing the past century’s grid.
“It’s marginally more expensive upfront, but it is enormously more efficient. The minute you put electricity into a high voltage above ground option, you lose approximately 30% of that generated power.”
Jochinke highlighted Katherine’s story as a common concern among Australian farmers, emphasising the importance of improving energy projects in the NFF’s Keep Farmers Farming campaign.
Jochinke said the right thing to do is to consult landholders in the early stages of the projects.
“The Government has the review outcomes in their hands so we urge them to get moving on it to make things-fairer for farmers. We want to work with government on this important issue and the findings of this report are a good place to start that collaboration,” he stated.
“Our message to Canberra is simple. If you love Aussie grown, help us protect Aussie farms and keep farmers farming.”
