Fuming farmers pop up banners

FARMERS across the Loddon have started erecting banners as they ramp up protests against plans for 80-metre tall transmission towers through the region.

A group of St Arnaud young farmers has had banners produced, raising funds for a fighting fund ahead of Australian Energy Market Operator’s release of its final route for the VNI West 500 kiloVolt interconnector.

Among organisers of the effort is Stacey Kellar, daughter of fourth generation Wedderburn farmers and partner of a sixth generation St Arnaud district farmer.

Stacey said 100 banners had been rolled out in the initial production run, the first 20 selling within 48 hours.

Among buyers have been Mark and Fiona Hall who farm more than 1200 hectares at Wychitella.

“I couldn’t attend the Wedderburn forum but since listened to what was said by AEMO. At first I felt sad and helpless and felt like crying,” Fiona said.

“But by the end after listening to what other speakers had to say, I thought we had to fight this whether it is our property, the property next door or 30km away. They should be looking at alternatives. When I drove out of our gate this morning, I saw normal powerlines and thought how heart-breaking it will be if these large towers are erected.”

Stacey said younger farmers were concerned for their future equity in agricultural land and production. “Young farmers are quite passionate in sticking up for their land and their business,” she said.

In her submission to AEMO on its preferred route from Bulgana, near Stawell, running between

Wedderburn and Charlton and through Boort and Pyramid Hill to Kerang, Stacey said: “The biggest question for me as a healthcare worker – what is the impact going to be on the mental health of my loved ones? Not only now, but also our future generations.

“Mental ill-health and suicide rates among rural farming communities is already far too high. In Australia, male farmers die by suicide at rates significantly higher than the general population and non-farming rural males.

“Since news broke of these transmission lines, we have already begun to see the shortterm mental health impacts, with a significant shift in the mood amongst my loved ones. I cannot count the number of phone calls, text messages and conversations that have been exchanged. And

REGIONAL and rural communities were being asked to shoulder the burden of construction and hosting transmission, AEMO’s chief executive office has told a major conference.

CEO Daniel Westerman made the comment at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia’s Rewiring the Nation: Transmission - the votal link to net zero forum

Mr Westernman said that burden came for benefits shared with populations “hundreds of kilometres away, even interstate”.

“I have travelled to the regions where large-scale transmission is needed,” he said.

Pharmacist fear for prescription change

FROM PAGE 1 the tone of these conversations has certainly changed.

Mr Sidhom said the Office of Impact Assessments in a letter to the Health Department had already admitted analysis of the impacts on rural pharmacies were unclear and “are difficult to ascertain at this point of time”.

“There’s heightened worry and concern, scared about what this project will do. Farmers stereotypically known to show no emotion, are showing emotion loud and clear and it’s concerning. So how long will we be tormented with the project and how long will mental ill-health snowball before, and I feel nauseated at even writing it, the worst happens, and we have to say goodbye to a loved one?

“The utter negligence you at AEMO have shown towards the mental health of affected communities is horrendous. We are people.

“We are people working hard to provide food and fibre for our country. We deserve to be treated better.

“Heads are spinning as we try

“I travelled to Western Victoria to meet the community, where farmers are concerned about the impact of new transmission on their lifestyle and their livelihoods. Their concerns are genuinely held.

“What we must do is to put the processes and resources in place to hear and understand communities’ concerns, and come up with a better way to work together and benefit together.

“It is upon us all in the energy sector to build the relationships…and the social licence …that enables the infrastructure that enables to understand what minimal information you are giving us, comparing this to the hear-say that is around, as well to the recent report written by highly accomplished professors saying this will all be a ‘monumental mistake. the energy transition to serve all Australians ... in this energy transition, people matter most.”

“How are we to know what is right and what is wrong? How are we to make an informed judgement about these large projects?

“Have these concerns even been considered by yourselves at AEMO? Put yourselves in our shoes. If it was your family and friend’s livelihoods at stake, you’d do anything to protect them. Same goes in the country.

“We are a small but mighty community, and we look out for our mates and neighbours,” she wrote.

He said because achieving net-zero by 2050, the target of all Australian governments, a net-zero electricity grid was the first step to get there. “Transmission wires strung between towers may lack the glamour of smart phones, electric cars and other modern miracles, but they are fundamental to solving one of Australia’s greatest modernday challenges: the transition of our energy system to enable a net-zero economy.”

The office, part of the Prime Minister’s Department, said impact analysis would have benefitted from more recent public consultations on potential stakeholder impacts, particularly for small businesses and pharmacies in rural and remote areas.

Rural Pharmacy Network Australia said the office’s “adequate” assessment was one grade above “insufficient” and the minimum required for the Government to make changes.,

The Loddon pharmacists said changes to dispensing times for scripts could also see rural chemists review business structures.

“We currently provide many free services - preparing Webster packs is one,” said Mr Selwanes. “But these changes will mean pharmacies and patients are worse off and we may have to charge for some services.”

Mr Sidhom said the worst scenario would be rural pharmacies becoming unsustainable or being forced to reduce staff or opening hours.

“That is something I would be very reluctant to do,” he said.