Environment

Call to protect agricultural land

By Geoff Adams

Jan 31, 2025

Valuable Victorian agricultural land needs to be protected from being consumed by energy developments, Victorian National Party leader Danny O’Brien said in a visit to the Goulburn Valley.

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“The government’s own figures show that if we were to replace coal and gas generation with wind farms or solar, we would have to cover 70 per cent of agricultural land across the state,” Mr O’Brien said.

“There has to be a protection for land.

“We will reverse Labor’s changes to planning appeals. Labor has taken away Victorian’s rights to go to VCAT on wind, solar or energy facilities, and transmission lines.

“We have also committed to introduce a 2km buffer between wind turbines and houses.”

Mr O’Brien acknowledged energy developments were not completely mutually exclusive as some sheep grazing could be carried out with solar developments and some cattle could graze with wind farms.

“But we need to remember that these developments can have an impact on food production and on employment and economic benefits that primary industries provide” he said.

“We need to ensure we are not locking up good farmland for energy developments that might only be around for 20 or 30 years.”

Mr O’Brien said better outcomes could be achieved through planning arrangements.

He pointed out that the Victorian Government’s own planning rules have prohibited energy projects in places like the Yarra Valley, the Bass Coast, and the Great Ocean Road.

“All the areas that Melbourne loves to play and stay in are off limits. So that means the rest of us are open slather,” Mr O’Brien said.