Tuesday, 12 May 2026

 Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (13:02): (2307) My question is for the Minister for Energy and Resources. Will the minister listen to the Dookie community and remove their district from the Central North renewable energy zone? Last week I joined two community meetings of over 250 and 150 people from Dookie and surrounding areas who were outraged by the surprise inclusion of their area in the Central North REZ in the final Victorian transmission plan. The response from those attending was loud and clear: they do not want to be part of the renewable energy zone.

Dookie soil is unique and traditionally returns a much higher yield. It is some of the most productive soil in Victoria, and it must be protected. I call on the minister to remove this area from the draft declaration order, or if the Labor government insists on including it, there must be more time for the community to provide feedback. All other zones had 12 months of early consultation and a four-month window to make submissions on the draft declaration order. Residents of Dookie deserve the same amount of time to make their case.