By Lauren Henry

Protecting prime agricultural land from renewable energy, mining and transmission-line projects were the key issues raised at the ‘Defending your right to farm forum’ in St Arnaud on Thursday.

Member for Mallee Anne Webster, flanked by her Nationals colleagues, federal leader Matt Canavan, shadow agricultural minister Darren Chester and Victorian leader Danny O’Brien, spoke and answered questions at the forum. 

More than 150 people – mostly farmers from across the region – attended the forum at St Arnaud Town Hall, with many taking the microphone to either make a comment or ask a question of the MPs.

The Nationals MPs were warned about a rise in popularity of One Nation, questioned on their relationship with the Pauline Hanson-led party and whether they would be swapping preferences with One Nation candidates in upcoming elections.

Farmers, with many representing Mine Free Wimmera Farms and Mine Free Mallee Farms, raised concerns about the impact of sand-mining projects near Lalbert and Horsham, and questioned the Victorian Nationals’ position on mining on agricultural land.

Gannawarra Shire Mayor Garner Smith joined a chorus of farmers at the forum who were critical of the Victorian Nationals’ performance and position on policies in relation to the VNI West transmission-line project and protecting agricultural land.

Cr Smith also took Dr Webster to task about supporting the VNI West project in 2020 – under the Morrison Coalition government – and questioned when she had changed positions to now oppose the project.

“You can’t just change positions – that is what you are actually accusing the current Labor government of doing with things like capital gains tax. We’ve got a massive backflip here,” he said.

Dr Webster responded that she had initially toed the party line on the project, as it was in her early years of being an MP, but she had now listened to her constituents and was against the project.

Prior to the forum at a media conference, Dr Webster said she had learnt about the impact of net-zero policies on farmers, farming families and farming communities – of which St Arnaud was one.

“It is really important that farmers’ voices are heard, that community voices are heard,” she said. 

“The Victorian Labor government has done the worst job in terms of social licence. They have not even attempted to really understand how farming communities work, and they’re railroading them, and they have been railroading them,” she said. 

“I’ve been standing with farmers in protests, in Spring Street and in Canberra, and out in the community to support them, because they’re the ones who bring in food and fibre for our nation.

“They contribute so much to our country and our country’s wealth, and they should not be ignored. They should be respected and given the dignity that they deserve.”

Dr Webster said the forum was not ‘about us telling the farmers’ but about listening to the farming community. 

Mr Canavan  said he was interested to hear from farmers who were on the front line of dealing with projects that were being built to achieve net-zero.

“I’m here as a new Nationals leader because Anne Webster pretty much every week in Canberra has raised the issues of VNI West, the trampling of people’s property rights here by the Victorian government,” he said.

“So now as Nationals leader with responsibilities all around the country, not just in Queensland, I’ve come here to hear from Anne Webster’s constituents directly about why they’re so upset about this.

“ I’ve fought this net-zero madness from the get-go. I’ve been on the front lines of the net-zero wars for five years now and, very much here in western Victoria, you are on the front-line of the net zero impact being felt by people’s property being taken without their consent and farmland being destroyed from large industrial wind and solar projects. 

“And the question has to be asked – for what benefit?

“Why are we destroying all of this beautiful farmland? 

“Why are we angering our nation’s farmers? 

“Why are we trampling over people’s rights to their own property, their own homes?

“Because we were promised by Lily D’Ambrosio and the Victorian government and Chris Bowen in Canberra, we were promised that doing all this would lower energy bills. 

“That doing this would bring hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs to our country. 

“None of those things have happened. Net zero has been a complete and utter failure, and so then why would we continue with net-zero projects?”

Mr Canavan said central Queensand and regional New South Wales were experiencing similar issues to north-western Victoria.

“It’s the same stories everywhere, that large industrial, often foreign-owned renewable-energy companies are coming into towns and communities, paying almost zero respect to the generational family farms that have been here forever, and think that because they believe they’re saving the planet, they can do whatever they like,” he said.

“The problem seems to be that because these companies feel they are saving the planet, they think they can just get away with anything. 

“And, I’ve got a newsflash, I don’t think a 300-meter wind turbine is going to change the temperature of the globe. 

“But it is destroying people’s ambience, their livelihoods, destroying our natural environment, and it is also pushing up the cost of everything and power prices for all Australians.”

The entire May 27, 2026 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!

The entire May 27, 2026 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!