Tuesday, 27 August 2024

Electricity infrastructure

Peter WALSH (Murray Plains) (14:07): My question is to the Premier. Last week hundreds of frustrated farmers travelled from across the state to Bendigo to raise legitimate concerns with the Premier. Why did the Premier fail to speak to these farmers?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:07): I thank the Leader of the National Party for his question. As part of being a proud representative of regional Victoria, I speak to members of regional communities on a regular basis, and that does include speaking with farmers and primary producers. Indeed, the Leader of the National Party knows that I was that morning speaking to farmers and primary producers, because he and I were in exactly the same meeting, where we were –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: Hang on. For the benefit of the house, we were on a unity ticket at this meeting. We were actually on a unity ticket at this meeting, where we were joining with representatives from local government, the primary producing sector and other representatives to talk about Victoria’s very strong position that we are putting to the federal government when it comes to the Murray–Darling Basin and how in the strongest possible terms we do not support the Commonwealth government’s position on buybacks.

Peter Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier has had half her time to set the scene. I ask you to draw her back to the group of farmers that were at the lunch that wanted to talk to her, not those that were at the breakfast.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Transport Infrastructure will come to order. I am sure you do not want to be removed from question time again. The Premier was being relevant to the question on this occasion.

Jacinta ALLAN: I was making the point to illustrate to the Leader of the National Party that speaking with regional communities, understanding their issues and meeting them in their own communities, which is also my community, is a really important part of the work we do. In terms of the lunch appointment, the Leader of the National Party was not at lunch, but there were people at the lunch who also raised the issues that were being raised by some who were not present at the formal lunch address I gave in Bendigo on Friday.

But my message to those who were in the room or outside the room is that no-one is more exposed to the impact of a changing climate than those of us who live and work and raise our families in regional communities. Whether you are a farmer, a primary producer, a small business owner, a manufacturer or someone who is raising their family, the impact of climate change on regional communities is real and is of grave concern to all of us, whether you look at the impact of natural disasters – more severe droughts, floods, fires and wind events that come through regional Victoria – or whether it is for farmers and primary producers, who have got significant unpredictability in terms of forward rainfall. The Leader of the Nationals and I talked just last week about the impact of the drought in south-west Victoria, where communities like Edenhope and Portland and Casterton are experiencing the lowest rainfall on record over this winter period. Climate change is impacting regional communities right now, which is why we are working on a renewable energy transition which is providing more secure energy and also amongst the lowest energy prices in the wholesale market.

Peter WALSH (Murray Plains) (14:11): These hardworking farmers had hoped the Premier would listen to them. Instead she hid inside and spoke about them. Given the Premier will not speak directly to these farmers, will she restore their rights of appeal to VCAT about the planning decisions that affect them?

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:12): I am rejecting the preamble to the Leader of the National Party’s question. On the latter part of the question in terms of rights, there has been no change to the third-party appeal rights that people have –

A member interjected.

Jacinta ALLAN: Sorry, let me start that again. The planning minister is going to correct that.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Members will be removed from the chamber without warning.

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier is required to be factual. The Premier put a press release out which is directly in contrast to what she said. Factually the Premier is wrong.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Jacinta ALLAN: I am absolutely happy to clarify that there continues to be the opportunity for local landowners to have a voice as part of the planning process, but also we have gone further than that. What we are also doing –

James Newbury: On a point of order, Speaker, this question asked about restoring VCAT rights. It was not about any other issue, and I would ask you to bring the Premier to that question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier will come back to the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: In recognising that for landowners the delivery of transmission does have an impact on their property, the minister for energy has already announced payments of $8000 per kilometre every year for 25 years to those landowners.

James Newbury: On a further point of order, Speaker, again on relevance, deferring to your ruling, the Premier is ignoring your ruling and has not dealt with the substance of the question.

The SPEAKER: I ask the Premier to come back to the question, but I do remind the Manager of Opposition Business that I cannot compel or direct the Premier how to answer the question.

Jacinta ALLAN: It is in that context that the government will not be changing its position on that matter.