Opponents want an inquiry into the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West [(VNI West) renewable energy project. 

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has urged the Victorian government to take over the planning of the state's transmission network following the Australian Energy Market Operator's (AEMO) proposed VNI West project.

AEMO recently endorsed one option for VNI West transmission line project, which would involve the construction of 500-kilovolt powerlines through farming land from Bulgana, near Ararat, to near Moama in New South Wales.

The VFF claims that AEMO has failed to take into account the impact of transmission planning on agricultural production. 

VFF President Emma Germano said farmers have been disrespected and the government should step in and take full control of planning the shift to renewable energy across the state to ensure the impacts on agriculture and regional communities are understood and mitigated.

The state’s National Party is calling for a senate inquiry into the VNI West project to ensure all “alternatives are explored” for rural communities affected by the transmission lines. 

More than 300 people have driven tractors and utes through the town of St Arnaud to protest the transmission lines, and the AEMO received over 500 submissions during its consultation phase. 

The final report, the Project Assessment Conclusions Report (PACR), will be published next month.

Farmers claim they have been left “high and dry” with no answers surrounding the $3.2 billion VNI West project. 

The VFF wants an immediate halt to planning for the VNI West and Western Renewables Link (WRL) projects, and for the government to undertake a state-wide review. 

The VFF claims that farmers are being forced to bear the cost of transmission infrastructure, as AEMO is only considering the cost of powerlines in terms of the cost to consumers' electricity bills and that AEMO is not suitable to be planning Victoria's transmission network.