DISTRICT farmers will push have wind farm rules tightened and turbines kept 5klm away from non-consenting neighbours.
St Arnaud branch of the Victorian Farmers’ Federation last Thursday carried a motion that would increase the buffer between turbines and owners of land adjoining wind farms.
The motion was backed by all but a handful of farmers from across the Wimmera and Loddon regions at the meeting.
Tyler Nelson, a farmer near Boort, said there needed to be better protection for landowners.
He said project neighbours were given no choice if a wind farm was to be built “and we are told nothing (of plans) until after the event”.
Mr Nelson said wind farm developers needed to be put on notice as they were currently operating without any real frameworks.
VFF branch secretary Barry Batters said the Government currently did not “have a clue about buffer zones” and non-consenting neighbours.
The meeting also backed Mr Nelson on calling for a 10km setback of wind farms from wetlands and property of environmental value and for the definition to also disallow development within 1km of a title boundary.
Last week’s VFF debate came as district farmers continue their protests against the Federal and State Government’s renewable energy policies and the impact on farmers and agricultural land outside a conference in Bendigo.
Further protests against proposed new State Government legislation on land access for renewable energy projects are scheduled for Melbourne this week.
The branch meeting was attended by state president Brett Hosking and new chief executive office Charlie Thomas.
Mr Thomas said the future of the VFF would rely on greater engagement with younger people.
“Food and fibre production is worth protecting and fighting for,” Mr Thomas said.
Both Mr Thomas and Mr Hosking said the next state election in November 2026 would see the VFF put forward strong cases on a range of issues.
“Forty per cent of food manufacturing jobs are in Victoria and we need to sell that,” Mr Thomas said.
Mr Hosking said the VFF had a CEO in Mr Thomas “who wants to be among us and understanding the members”.
He said the VFF continued to push for axing the controversial emergency services tax.
And he said there had been talks with the Greens about the renewable energy land access proposals.
“Even the Greens are concerns about the Government’s plans,” Mr Hosking said.
Branch president Colin Coates said: “My grandfather if he was still alive would be feeling betrayed by these plans and that an act of terrorism had been committed.”
He urged members to continue their push to protect land for primary production. “If ever there is a time to be standing up, it’s right now,” Mr Coates said.