We’re calling on the State Parliament to reject a last minute government amendment that would green-light power companies to compulsorily acquire farmers’ land for transmission lines before environmental and planning approvals are even finished.
The proposed amendment to the Energy and Other Legislation Amendment (Resilience Reforms and Other Matters) Bill 2026 creates a direct bypass around the state’s environmental protection laws. It explicitly allows the government to force through transmission easements while an Environment Effects Statement (EES) is still underway.
VFF President Brett Hosking said the move was a betrayal of trust and due process.
“This amendment is a sneak attack being jammed through at the eleventh hour with zero transparency or consultation with the farmers whose livelihoods are on the line.”
“It would allow the Minister to bypass Victoria’s environment and planning laws, and potentially waste millions of taxpayer dollars in the process.”
“What is the actual point of asking for the community’s feedback, while at the exact same time you are compulsory acquiring their land behind the scenes? That’s a complete slap in the face and will only alienate these communities further.”
“You don’t build the roof before you pour the slab, and you certainly don’t compulsorily acquire a farmer’s land before you’ve even finished the independent assessment proving the powerline is safe, necessary, and in the right spot.”
Mr Hosking warned the amendment would damage perceptions of the EES process and strengthen the hand of power companies which are already treating communities with contempt.
“Make no mistake, this is about fast-tracking intimidation of landholders. It gives proponents the power to walk onto a farm and say, ‘sign this substandard agreement today, or the government will just take your land tomorrow’ – before landholders have even seen the details of a project, let alone an approval,” he said.
The VFF also highlighted the reckless financial risk to Victorian taxpayers.
“If the EES process does its job and forces a route change – or if a project simply falls over – the state will have forced taxpayers to fork out millions in compensation for easements that are completely useless,” Mr Hosking said.
The VFF is calling on Members of the Legislative Council oppose the amendment and stand up for basic fairness.
“Our message to the Parliament is simple: you assess the environmental impact first and do it by the book before you do anything else. Do not treat regional communities with this kind of contempt,” Mr Hosking said.