Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Dederang battery project

Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (22:04): (958) My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Planning. Dederang is a beautiful community nestled in the heart of the Kiewa Valley that is under threat by developers, earmarked as the place to put two large battery storage facilities. The community is rallying against the decimation of their peaceful existence and their prime agricultural land. Throughout the so-called community consultation, which consisted of just one meeting, the residents of Dederang were intimidated, threatened and outright bullied into accepting the building of these dangerous and ugly battery energy storage system facilities. Representatives of the developers told locals at a community meeting held on 29 May they had better accept the proposal or face having a nuclear reactor. Residents were quite rightly outraged at the threats and intimidation tactics used by the proponents of this facility. The whole meeting seemed to be just another box-ticking exercise by greedy renewable energy companies. If these companies cannot obtain submission with money, they will bully, threaten and intimidate communities to get it. My wonderful communities like Dederang say, ‘Enough is enough.’ The action I seek is for the minister to come with me and speak to the members of the Dederang community to hear their concerns regarding these large-scale battery projects proposed for their pristine valley.