Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Meadow Creek solar farm

Tim McCURDY (Ovens Valley) (10:33): Thank you to the many farmers and community members who showed up in Oxley last Thursday for the rally in the Valley. It takes a resilient community to keep turning up to show the Victorian government and the Minister for Planning that Meadow Creek solar factory is not the right project in that place. As the 10 June deadline looms for the final submissions, I encourage the entire Wangaratta community to have their say on this solar factory proposal. We are not anti solar, nor are we against renewable energy, but if we want to be truly sustainable as a region, we need to make better choices as to where these projects belong. Finding a willing seller who lives near a high-voltage line is not the best way to determine the best locations for these projects. The Conroy family have been at the heart of this fight for fairness. John and Jess and their beautiful children have been a pillar of strength for this community, and they have shown outstanding leadership qualities. As a former dairy farmer myself, I know the pressures that farming families are under right now. We will soon find out if the government genuinely wants to make the best decisions for our communities.