Tuesday, 11 August 2026

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (00:12): (2675) My adjournment matter is for the Premier, and the action I seek is that he accept Leader of the Opposition Jess Wilson’s demand to halt all final decisions on the Western Renewables Link, including planning approvals and compulsory acquisition powers, before the state election. The proposition Jess put to the Premier is straightforward: no final planning sign-offs and no land grab powers for AusNet before Victorians have their say at the ballot box. There is no engineering emergency requiring these approvals in the coming weeks, only a cynical political urgency to lock this project in before Labor faces the electorate. An outgoing government has no business binding taxpayers, landholders and a future administration to massive, irreversible liabilities on its way out the door. Having spent years meeting affected farmers, attending rallies and visiting properties across western Victoria, I know these communities well. They are reasonable, informed people who understand Victoria’s energy needs. They are not necessarily opposed to renewable energy; they are opposed to being ignored, overridden and treated as collateral damage by a government that decided the route first and pretended to consult them afterwards. Those communities have endured years of uncertainty while Labor expanded its coercive powers and refused to listen to them.

The government’s secrecy is indefensible. The independent inquiry completed its hearings in March and delivered its final report to the Minister for Planning on 8 May. That report remains secret. Yet while landholders are kept in the dark, AusNet has formally applied for compulsory acquisition powers. Granting those powers on the eve of an election would be one of the most cynical acts of this government’s term. The financial justification for rushing Western Renewables Link through has also collapsed. It was originally put to Victorians at $479 million in 2019. It is now estimated to cost $1.53 billion – more than three times the original figure – before the planning minister has even issued a final assessment. Transmission is not free. Every single month Victorian families and small businesses will pay for it through higher electricity bills. The leadership change provides an opportunity to reset a deeply damaged relationship with regional Victoria. Premier Carroll claims to offer a fresh start. Well, he can prove it by accepting Jess Wilson’s proposal and halting these approvals. The Liberals and Nationals have committed to pausing the Western Renewables Link and subjecting it to a rigorous independent review. The Premier must allow Victorians to vote before Labor makes their project irreversible.