Wednesday, 12 November 2025

 Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (13:35): Today I wish to condemn the grossly unfair and unjust approval of the Meadow Creek solar facility by the Minister for Planning on Friday 31 October. On yet another file and flee Friday the Minister for Planning went against the pleas and warnings of both the Bobinawarrah community and experts to approve possibly the largest solar facility in Victoria, in the King Valley – this, only months after approving the controversial Dederang battery energy storage system facility and the Cooba solar facility, also in my electorate of Northern Victoria. The minister did this without even having the decency of visiting the areas she has given the green light to be put at risk. All of these projects have been met with solid community pushback and outrage. These communities are not fighting these facilities without reason. They are not fighting against these just because they simply do not like them. These communities came to the table armed with knowledge and facts about the region, the environment and the very valid concerns they hold surrounding these facilities. They came armed with flood mapping, bushfire overlays, environmental studies and meteorological data. Every time they were ignored; every time they were treated as though nothing matters but the extreme push for so-called renewable energy. Yet again this citycentric government is just bulldozing over the top of these communities and pushing ahead with their agendas. These hardworking farming communities deserve better. These wonderful farming communities deserve to actually be listened to by those in power, because no-one knows and cares for the environment in these areas – (Time expired)