By Deanne Jeffers
FARMING communities are calling for an independent examination of how one of Australia’s most productive agricultural districts came to be included within a proposed Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), arguing fundamental questions about the decision-making process remain unanswered.
Protect Dookie & the Goulburn Valley have released an open letter to VicGrid CEO, Alistair Parker, seeking detailed answers to a series of unresolved questions following VicGrid’s response to community concerns regarding the proposed Central North REZ.
The open letter has been distributed to Members of Parliament, Federal Ministers, peak agricultural organisations and news organisations across Australia.
The advocacy group says that it is not about whether renewable energy should be developed, but whether the process used to identify Dookie as a potential location was transparent, evidence-based, and procedurally fair.
Protect Dookie & GV spokesperson, Hannah Harmer, said the community was still waiting for answers to the most fundamental questions.
“Months later, we still don’t know who decided Dookie should be included, what locality- specific evidence supported that decision, or whether our district’s unique agricultural value was properly assessed before the boundary was drawn.”
“Those aren’t unreasonable questions. They’re the basic questions any community should be entitled to ask when decisions of this significance are being made.”
The group said Dookie was added to the proposed REZ after other areas had already been removed from consideration and did not receive the same consultation afforded to other affected communities.
VicGrid has acknowledged that dedicated consultation did not occur before Dookie was included within the proposed REZ investigation area. Community consultation sessions only took place following sustained advocacy from local residents.
The community says those circumstances have raised broader concerns about transparency, procedural fairness and public confidence in major planning decisions.
The district is recognised as one of Victoria’s most productive dryland farming regions and forms part of the internationally significant Goulburn Valley food bowl.
An independent report prepared by Sequana, commissioned and funded by Greater Shepparton City Council, identifies the region as possessing exceptional agricultural capability, including wheat and canola yields significantly above the Victorian average, highly productive red volcanic soils and nationally significant agricultural research assets.
Protect Dookie & the Goulburn Valley Group believes these issues extend well beyond one regional community.
“This isn’t simply about Dookie,” Jodie Fleming said. “The decisions made here will establish an important precedent for every farming community that may one day find itself inside a Renewable Energy Zone.”
“Communities should be able to have confidence that major planning decisions are based on locality-specific evidence, transparent assessment processes and genuine consultation.”
The community is seeking:
- Removal of Dookie and surrounding strategically significant agricultural land from the proposed Central North Renewable Energy Zone;
- Full public release of the evidence, datasets and locality-specific assessments relied upon to include Dookie;
- Consideration of the independent Sequana Report before any decision is made regarding Dookie’s future;
- Acknowledgement of the consultation deficiencies surrounding Dookie’s inclusion; and
- Greater transparency regarding how strategically significant agricultural land is identified and protected.
The Open Letter requests VicGrid provide written responses within 21 days.
