VFF released the Farm Access Code of Conduct in conjunction with TasFarmers on Tuesday, February 13 to challenge the ‘unfair’ expectation of regional Australia bearing all the cost for delivering energy to cities.
The code is aimed at promoting respectful and sensible infrastructure development on agricultural land.
VFF president Emma Germano said renewable energy and transmission projects needed to be properly planned.
“In many cases this land is highly productive, supporting and sustaining regional communities as well as being critical to our nation’s food security,” Ms Germano said.
“This land is scarce and cannot be replaced.
“Planning projects properly and consulting communities means there is less chance of having to use compulsory acquisition laws to ram projects through.”
Ms Germano and her Tasmanian counterpart have jointly written to Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen to seek a meeting to discuss adopting the code’s principles into consistent national and state-based laws.
“We are offering an open hand to government asking them to work with us and respect the people who grow our food so we can all deliver for the national interest,” Ms Germano said.
“Government must realise that if farmers and communities aren’t treated with respect, then they reserve their right to delay these projects.
“That will mean the government will have no chance of meeting their ambitious renewable energy targets.”
The Federal Government commissioned the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commission (AEIC) to conduct a community engagement review and accepted in principle all nine recommendations in December, 2023.
One of those recommendations was to reduce ‘unnecessary’ community engagement by improving the way project sites are selected and by increasing early local collaboration
A spokeswoman for Mr Bowen said the Federal Government was committed to striking the right balance between supporting the renewables roll-out and farming, through genuine community engagement and long-term local benefits.
“The government has received the VFF and TasFarmers Farm Access Code of Conduct and looks forward to engaging with various stakeholders while it finalises its response to the AEIC’s Community Engagement Review, (and will be) including the VFF and TasFarmers as part of that,” the spokeswoman said.
