Tyrrell questions renewable energy land use
STATE Member for Northern Victoria, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell MP, is seeking clarity on the Labor Government’s plans to utilise prime agricultural land for renewable energy projects. This comes in response to the Federal Government’s recent decision to halt the planning of an offshore wind farm project, casting doubt on the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal planned for the Port of Hastings.
In a recent State Parliament adjournment debate, Tyrrell voiced concerns about the potential use of agricultural land for new solar, wind and battery renewable energy projects, given the uncertainty of the offshore wind project. She highlighted the Victorian Government’s ambitious target of 95 per cent renewable energy production by 2035, and questioned, “With the Port of Hastings Terminal now in doubt, are they going to destroy Victoria’s agricultural industry by increasing the amount of renewable energy projects on prime agricultural land?”
Tyrrell also accused the Labor Government of concealing the amount of prime land needed to meet the 2035 target. She referenced a March 2022 Offshore Wind Policy Directions paper, now removed from all Victorian Government websites, which suggested that without offshore wind, 70 per cent of Victoria’s prime agricultural land would potentially need to be used for renewable energy production. Tyrrell has sought an explanation from Agriculture Minister Ros Spence on plans to protect Victorian farmers and their land.
