General News
9 November, 2025
Red sea! Renewable landlock
UP TO 30 farmers have put a ring of “no go” red around three proposed renewable energy factories sites in Loddon’s north.
Landowners added their properties to the map charting rural opposition to the State Government’s backing of wind and solar factories in new zones covering prime agricultural land.
Pyramid Hill district farmers interrupted early harvest preparations over the past week to attend a session at the Coffee Bank to update the state-wide map.
“We had up to 30 landowners say they don’t want wind and solar near their properties ... and there have been more come forward since,” said Mincha’s Tara Hammett.
Release of the map comes days before European Energy holds the first of two community drop-in information sessions at Pyramid Hill on its wind and solar farm proposal at Mincha and Atmos Renewables plans similar sessions in the town and at Kerang for its Marcorna wind farm project.
Last month, Potentia had drop-in sessions at Pyramid Hill and Mitiamo where details of its proposals for a solar farm at Mologa were unveiled.
The companies have spent the past three weeks holding meetings with individual landowners in the district.
However. both Mrs Hammett and Loddon Valley Renewables Awareness Group spokesman Byron Talbot said the timing of consultation had been poor.
“We’ve told them not to do anything during harvest ... wait until people can actually participate,” Mrs Hammett said.
Mr Talbot said there should be a town meeting in Pyramid Hill where all companies presented details of their projects at the one time and people could ask questions.
“Do something in February because at the moment we’re all flat out with harvest, then it’s Christmas and in January people actually try to spend time with family and get away from all of this,” Mr Talbot said.
“But all these companies seem to have hit the ground running at the same time. There have been reports in the last week of a fourth company calling local farmers.”
Mr Talbot said the explosion of red patches on the no-go map could be an indication of how little support renewable projects had in the Pyramid Hill district. “There are people who just don’t want to live next to turbines.”
Read More: Pyramid Hill, Mitiamo, Mologa, Mincha