LARGE swathes of the Mansfield Shire have been earmarked as suitable for further investigation to host renewable energy infrastructure under the state government's draft Victorian Transmission Plan.
Developed by VicGrid, Labor’s renewable energy body, the plan includes a map identifying sites within Victoria based on their suitability for solar, wind farms, and transmission lines, or their proximity to the network.
Considered to offer moderate-high opportunities balanced with low-moderate constraints, Mansfield Shire has been recognised as tier two within the study area tiers, just one below areas across the state marked as priority.
Victoria has been divided up falling under six classifications, with all areas under the three tier system considered potential locations.
Under the plan, areas not suitable for renewable energy infrastructure have been classified as de-prioritised, to be avoided or in relation specifically to wind projects have been marked as exclusion areas, with coastlines like the Bellarine and Mornington Peninsula falling under this classification.
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Member for Eildon, Cindy McLeish said half the state has been designated as viable to host infrastructure with no consideration made to local communities or economic drivers like agriculture and tourism within these regions.
"Driving down emissions and transitioning to net zero is important, but we need to get it right and determine areas of minimum impact," she said.,
"There shouldn't have to be a trade-off between agriculture and renewables.
"Opening up whole areas like this creates significant uncertainty and angst across regional Victoria."
Ms McLeish believes community consultation to help inform the plan has been a sham, with the website hard to navigate and the survey lacking clarity.
In neighbouring electorate, Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland said it will have a devastating impact on regional communities and large sections of the state’s prime agricultural land.
Much of the Euroa electorate is included on the map, including Seymour, Benalla, and surrounding towns.
Ms Cleeland expressed deep concern about the plan, most importantly that the government had ignored the voices of landholders and those involved within the agricultural sector.
“Farmers are the ones putting food on our tables and are backbone of the Victorian economy,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Despite how crucial they are to our entire state, there is no strategy to compensate them for the significant loss of food production that this project will create.
“Upgrading the power delivery system within Victoria isn’t the issue.
"The issue is the way this government wants the upgrades to take place, which is sacrificing prime, highly arable agricultural land in our state."
Ms Cleeland said that certain renewable projects across the region had already left local farmers feeling uneasy, and that more consultation with the community was required.
People can visit engage.vic.gov.au/victransmissionplan to make a submission and to see locations for regional drop-in sessions and online webinars.
