Carly Noble, a farmer in Arnold, Victoria, has been endorsed by the Australian Democrats for this year’s federal election.
Photo by
Lea Unwin-Smith
Australian Democrats federal senate candidate Carly Noble has weighed in on renewable energy projects in northern Victoria.
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Mrs Noble has helped Victorian farmers negotiate deals with renewable developers to locate wind and solar projects on their properties over the past five years.
Her work in this area led her to join the Community Reference Group for the contentious Victoria-NSW Interconnector West project.
The group allows collaboration and engagement with affected communities, according to Transmission Company Victoria, who is responsible for the project.
The project proposes a 400km high-voltage connection from south-west Victoria to southern NSW, allowing renewable energy to be transmitted between states.
Its current proposed transmission line has a preferred easement through parts of Gannawarra Shire Council.
A map of the VNI West preferred easement as of April 3. The blue line shows the current preferred route. Source: TCV/Mapbox.
The council has backed the project’s construction, although community opposition arose along the proposed route after it was changed in 2023 with little consultation.
Mrs Noble said proper consultation had been lacking, partly due to companies taking advantage of energy market privatisation.
“I'm supportive of renewable energy, but the governance around planning of major new infrastructure needs to change,” she said.
“A successful energy transition will rely on earning the trust of the farmers, who will host the critically important transmission lines for many decades to come.”
In March, TCV announced final scoping requirements for an Environmental Effects Statement, which will assess the environmental and social impacts of VNI West.
Community feedback on the statement was shared with the Department of Transport and Planning late last year.
VNI West is part of the Australian Energy Market Operator’s plan to build new transmission lines to connect Renewable Energy Zones in regional areas to cities.
These transmission projects are crucial to the Federal Government’s goal of producing 82 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Mrs Noble said it’s time to get the renewable energy show on the road, but in a way that included rural communities as partners in the transition.
“That means proper consultation processes from the beginning to the end of a project,” she said.
“And a robust policy that allows regions and landholders who host renewables to benefit from the cheaper power they produce and being paid to host the new infrastructure.”
The federal election will be held on Saturday, May 3.
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