General News
11 December, 2025
Survey supports farmer veto on use of their land
Anne Webster on the cost of living and renewable energy
WOW! A lot has happened since my last column in July and I’ll start where I left off, Mallee’s Biggest Survey 2025. Over 5300 people in Mallee responded including hundreds from the Loddon Shire. Thank you to everyone who sent in a survey and you’re always welcome to share your views anytime at anne.webster.mp@aph.gov.au
Cost-of-living is front and centre of The Nationals’ thinking, and over 87 per cent of Loddon residents say they are under cost-of-living pressure, citing energy prices as the number one cause, ahead of groceries, insurance and council rates.
As I write this column the latest CPI data shows the cost of living is rising further as the Albanese Labor Government’s short-term smoke-and-mirrors trick of energy rebates fades away. Approaching the 2022 election Labor promised a $275 reduction in your power bills 97 times, but Australians are paying over $1300 more for their energy bills now. What’s Labor’s solution? Appoint Energy Minister Bowen president of the COP31 climate negotiations and convert him into a part-time energy minister.
Loddon residents are more inclined than the rest of Mallee to oppose Labor’s 2030 target of 47 per cent ‘renewables’ energy generation and Labor’s 2050 ‘net zero’ target. (Remember, the Allan Victorian Labor Government want ‘net zero’ five years earlier, by 2045) Loddon residents are also much more inclined to say landowners should have a right of veto of mining or energy, with 63 per cent saying it was the best way of addressing social licence in the community.
There’s little wonder the anti-‘renewables’ sentiment is so strong given one of the Allan Victorian Labor Government’s tentacles, VicGrid, recently tried to use their draconian powers to force they way onto local farmers’ land so the 240-kilometre VNI-West transmission line can be built. I am proud of Mallee farmers supporting their neighbours standing together in protest, with more protests to occur if VicGrid obtains court orders to force access.
I am deliberately putting ‘renewables’ in quotes because the jury is out on how good for the planet wind turbines, solar panels and supporting above-ground 500 kilovolt transmission lines are for the environment. Recent alarming revelations that Chinese-made brakes in some turbines contain asbestos which simply adds to environmental and community safety concerns. The Coalition in Government banned asbestos importation over 20 years ago. We also increased the criminal penalties for doing so when we were last in government. An audit of all turbines for environmentally and publicly risky materials must immediately occur. The batteries that support wind turbines can also catch fire and cause significant environmental damage, and sadly local community concerns about energy projects’ risks to native flora and fauna have fallen on deaf ears.
Both the Allan and Albanese Labor Governments are not focused on cost-of-living and lower energy bills. They are hell-bent on political and ideological targets and railroading farmers and regional communities. I am very proud that The Nationals have yet again led the Coalition on a commonsense solution.
The Nationals led the national conversation on the Voice to Parliament, a place for nuclear energy in our future energy mix, blocking Murray Darling Basin water buybacks, a big stick called divestiture so supermarkets treat farmers fairly, and better mobile coverage for the bush.
The Nationals led again with our plan for Cheaper, Better and Fairer energy policy to reduce power bills while also reducing emissions. The Coalition has adopted our plan and we stand with Australians struggling with the high cost of energy under the Albanese Labor Government.
The Coalition will establish a Code of Conduct for electricity infrastructure developers that requires a social licence and protects prime agricultural land and native habitats. Compliance with the Code would be required for developers to access federal funding, and the Code will be embedded in State Energy Deals and inserted in the Climate Change Act 2022. So if States want federal funding for energy projects they must abide by the Code of Conduct.
I have fought for that specific protection for our prime agricultural land and beautiful landscapes and as harvest begins for some, I hope everyone can have an enjoyable, peaceful and restful Christmas and New Year season.
* Anne Webster is the member for Mallee