Business & Rural
14 December, 2025
Gates still slamming shut on VicGrid
The Wallaloo and Gre Gre District Alliance has called this “a blowout that undermines the needs of the overhead transmission and demands that it Vicgrid go back to the drawing board on its planning”.
LOCAL farmers along the proposed line from Wycheproof to Wallaloo have intensified their opposition to the proposed VNI West transmission-line project.
Scores of landowners, community members and supporters, have “locked the gates” in multiple standoffs across the Wimmera and Mallee.
Large groups blocked access to workers from VicGrid, the agency charged with planning the VNI West, at Marnoo farmer Ben Duxson’s property recently.
“Like we’ve been doing the past few weeks, we’re continuing our message of access denied,” Mr Duxson said.
“We’ll continue on that plight.
“We don’t think this is a project that’s proper fit for Australia and we’ll keep fighting that.”
Recent attempts by VicGrid to access farmland under newly granted compulsory-entry powers were rebuffed by several hundreds of protesters at properties who successfully prevented entry.
The proposed VNI West is 250 kilometres of 500 kw overhead powerlines running from Kerang to Bulgana north of Stawell.
Local farm groups in St Arnaud have a map of the properties in the line of the proposed VNI West that show 195 kilometres of land that have locked the gates and deny access to the project.
The projected costs for VNI West, from previous estimates of about AU$3.9 billion to as much as $11.4 billion.
The Wallaloo and Gre Gre District Alliance has called this “a blowout that undermines the needs of the overhead transmission and demands that it Vicgrid go back to the drawing board on its planning”.
“Our land, our livelihood. Farmers want to farm, not face VNI West,” they said.
“We stand with every farmer along the line.”
Read More: St Arnaud