DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories
Shadow Minister for Regional Communications
Member for Mallee

VNI-West 2-year delay proves farmers deserve respect, Labor targets unachievable

Monday 1 July 2025

Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster says Monday’s news that TCV were pushing back the VNI-West completion date 2 years showed landowners have always deserved greater respect, and that both the Albanese and Allan Labor Governments’ political energy targets are unachievable.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) through their company Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) said on Monday that the Victoria – New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI-West) would only be completed in 2030, with spokesperson Claire Cass saying:

“The new construction completion target allows more time for detailed environmental, geotechnical and cultural assessments, along with more meaningful landholder engagement on access and easement arrangements.” (emphasis added)

Dr Webster seized on the news as an admission that, to date, social licence and landowner consultation had been substandard.

“Mallee constituents have been telling me they are very unhappy with how they have been treated by TCV and ‘VicGrid’, the Victorian Government’s deployment arm for VNI-West,” Dr Webster said.

“As I wrote last month, Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio and VicGrid’s CEO received frosty receptions in the electorate due to the division their plans are causing in our communities.  Mallee residents feel their evidence of personal and local impacts simply has not been listened to.

“Mallee residents strongly believe farmers and landowners deserve, and are not getting, a fair go. They are horrified to hear the Victorian Government are threatening fines of up to $12,000 if landowners do not comply with the railroading of energy projects, through a radical new bill in State Parliament.

The 2-year delay announcement on VNI-West follows the late April announcement the Western Renewables Link (WRL) which VNI-West connects with will, itself, be delayed until after the November 2026 state election while the public are consulted on environmental effects and planning approvals.

“Mallee people have spoken and protested in Melbourne and elsewhere and where possible I have joined them.  With a united voice we have made it crystal clear that Mallee will not be railroaded.  I have been saying time and again and again and again that farmers, landowners and their communities need to be respected, and our harmonious communities must not be divided by energy cowboys and aggressive governments,” Dr Webster said.

Dr Webster said the VNI-West and WRL delays, combined, now demonstrated the Albanese and Allan Labor Government’s political energy targets are off the mark.

“The Albanese Government wants ‘net zero’ by 2050 and 82 per cent electricity generation from ‘renewables’ by 2030, while the Allan Government is even more out-of-touch, wanting ‘net zero’ for Victoria by 2045 and 95 per cent ‘renewable’ energy generation by 2035,” Dr Webster said.

“Meanwhile the same governments continue to be mugged by the reality that we need gas in the energy transition, rolling back Labor’s previous anti-gas measures and yesterday the Albanese government launched yet another gas market review, this time to ‘strengthen domestic supply’.

“There is no justification for dividing and railroading regional communities for clearly unachievable political energy targets.”