Today the Senate showed a blatant disregard for regional communities by voting against establishing an inquiry into the impact of transmission lines running through prime agricultural land.
Despite claiming to support scrutiny and transparency, the Labor Party, the Greens and Independent Senator, David Pocock joined forces to block the inquiry.
Deputy Leader of The Nationals, Senator Perin Davey said the inquiry would have looked at the case for renewable energy transmission lines and associated issues, but Labor aren’t open to scrutiny.
“If the transition to renewables, which will require around 28,000km of new transmission lines, is going to be so good for our country, why are the Government not willing to have an inquiry to lay it out?” Senator Davey said.
“While the Labor Government think they’re saving the country with their renewable energy plans, regional communities are the ones who carry the burden.
“If regional areas are forced to bear the brunt of ‘rewiring’ the nation, then we must make sure community concerns are heard and considered and landholders must be adequately compensated,” Senator Davey said.
Senator Ross Cadell said this is the second time in six months that the Labor Greens Government have denied regional communities across Australia a voice on their requiring the Nation Plan.
“Once again we see those that represent the cities not willing to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions in the regions,” Senator Cadell said.
“These policies will see massive loss of productive land, amenity of property and loss of rural incomes. Landowners have raised concerns around safety, biosecurity, and fire risk.
“Those in the bush are fast becoming the District 13 of the Labor Greens Hunger Games of energy policy,” Senator Cadell concluded.
ENDS