Today, Labor, The Greens and David Pocock have again voted against a parliamentary inquiry, silencing the voices of traditional owners, farmers and fishers across regional Australia.

Nationals Senator Ross Cadell said furious farmers and regional residents living in the path of proposed high-voltage power lines and other electrical infrastructure warned of the negative impacts of thousands of new transmission lines across farms and native habitats.

The inquiry would have investigated the adequacy and fairness of process and compensation to acquire compulsory access to agricultural land, indigenous land and marine environments to develop major renewable infrastructure, including wind farms, solar farms and transmission lines.

Regional communities are bearing the brunt of connecting renewable energy zones to the grid with Hume Link and New England Link in NSW, the Western Renewables Link from Melton through to Ballarat in Victoria and Powerlink Borumba project in the Gympie region Queensland to name a few that are leaving landowners feeling powerless.

Senator Cadell said For every new renewable project, Hundreds of landholders and thousands of acres of agricultural and environmental lands are destroyed, but the people keeping warm in their capital city, air-conditioned towers of virtue, don’t care.

“The Greens, Labor and David Pocock need to recognize the importance of rural and regional voices. The needs and concerns of people in these areas are just as important as those in major cities and deserve to be heard,” Senator Cadell said.

“Among the many concerns raised is the negative impact the towers could have on their farm and stock, the proximity of the lines to homes, loss of amenity and the need for contractors to have access to private property.”

Senator Cadell said he supported renewable energy but was concerned about the power imbalance between traditional owners, farmers, and fishers in dealing with governments and energy companies seeking to acquire or access their land compulsorily.

The diversification of the grid must be balanced, not just for regional workers in the generation of power but ensuring landowners are compensated for the total economic cost of the developments, not just token payments. This renewable cabal of labour/greens/Pocock does not want to give these people a chance to be heard.

Media contact: Josh Hodges 0411 135 367