Vaughan Williams, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Candidate for Mallee
Date: April 2025
The Mallee region is the heart of Victoria’s agricultural backbone, feeding families across Australia and beyond. Our farmers are the lifeblood of this electorate, yet their livelihoods, land, and legacy are under threat from the uncontrolled rollout of industrial-scale renewable energy projects—wind turbines, solar farms, and high-voltage transmission lines. These developments, driven by distant urban policymakers and profit-hungry corporations, are carving up prime farmland, disrupting agricultural productivity, and driving up power prices for hardworking Australians. Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, through my commitment as your candidate for Mallee, stands firmly with our farmers to halt this destruction and safeguard our agricultural future.
The Problem: Renewable Projects Harm Mallee’s Farmland and Farmers
- Destruction of Prime Agricultural Land
- Wind turbines and solar farms require vast tracts of land, often prime agricultural soil that has sustained crops and livestock for generations. In the Mallee, projects like the proposed renewable energy zones threaten to industrialise fertile farmland, reducing food production capacity at a time when global demand is rising.
- Transmission lines, such as the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West), slice through properties, fragmenting farms and restricting access for machinery and livestock. Farmers report losing productive land to access roads, tower bases, and easements, with no guarantee of fair compensation.
- Disruption to Agriculture and Rural Communities
- The construction and operation of renewable projects disrupt farming practices. Noise and shadow flicker from wind turbines stress livestock, while solar farms alter soil conditions and limit grazing or cropping options.
- Communities are divided as some landholders lease their land for renewables, while neighbours bear the visual, environmental, and economic costs without consent. This erodes the social fabric of tight-knit Mallee towns like Mildura, Swan Hill, and Kerang.
- Fire risks from turbines and battery storage systems are a growing concern, with local volunteer firefighters warning of challenges in managing blazes near renewable infrastructure.
- Rising Power Prices
- Despite promises of cheap energy, renewable projects have coincided with skyrocketing electricity costs. Mallee families and businesses face bills that strain budgets, driven by subsidies for foreign-owned wind and solar companies and the high cost of grid upgrades to support intermittent power.
- The closure of reliable coal and gas plants, replaced by weather-dependent renewables, risks energy shortages, further inflating prices and threatening industries like irrigation-dependent horticulture.
- Inadequate Consultation and Corporate Overreach
- Farmers report rushed or tokenistic consultation by developers, with projects approved despite community objections. Foreign-owned companies prioritise profits over local needs, leaving Mallee residents feeling ignored by Canberra and Melbourne bureaucrats.
- Compulsory land acquisitions loom as a threat, undermining property rights and the sovereignty of farmers over their own land.
Our Commitment: Cancel Current Projects and Protect Mallee’s Future
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, through my advocacy for Mallee, proposes a bold policy to stop the harm caused by reckless renewable energy projects and prioritise our farmers, food security, and affordable energy.
1. Immediate Moratorium on Renewable Energy Projects
- Action: Call for an immediate suspension of all new and under-construction wind, solar, and transmission line projects in the Mallee, including VNI West and proposed renewable energy zones, pending a comprehensive Senate inquiry.
- Purpose: The inquiry will scrutinise the economic, social, environmental, and agricultural impacts of renewables, ensuring decisions are based on evidence, not ideology. Projects failing to demonstrate clear benefits to Mallee communities will be cancelled.
- Rationale: Farmers deserve certainty, not the constant threat of land loss or disruption. A pause allows time to assess whether renewables are truly viable without sacrificing agriculture.
2. Protect Prime Agricultural Land
- Action: Legislate to designate Mallee’s prime agricultural land as a protected zone, prohibiting large-scale renewable energy developments and transmission corridors on farmland critical to food and fibre production.
- Purpose: Safeguard Australia’s food security by preserving the Mallee’s capacity to grow wheat, barley, citrus, almonds, and livestock, which are vital to domestic and export markets.
- Rationale: Only a fraction of Australia’s land is suitable for high-yield agriculture. Sacrificing it for renewables is shortsighted when alternative locations—like degraded or non-arable land—could be explored.
3. Strengthen Farmer Rights and Compensation
- Action: Enact laws to guarantee farmers’ rights to refuse renewable projects on or near their properties without penalty. For existing projects, mandate fair, market-based compensation for any loss of productivity, land value, or amenity, independently assessed and fully funded by developers.
- Purpose: Empower farmers to protect their livelihoods and ensure those impacted are not left worse off. Compensation must reflect long-term losses, not just short-term payments.
- Rationale: Farmers are not anti-progress but demand respect for their property rights and contributions to the nation’s prosperity.
4. Affordable and Reliable Energy for Mallee
- Action: Oppose renewable energy mandates and subsidies that inflate power prices. Support a balanced energy mix, including modern coal, gas, and nuclear options, to deliver stable, affordable electricity to Mallee households and businesses.
- Purpose: Reduce cost-of-living pressures and ensure energy reliability for irrigation, processing, and rural industries, which employ thousands in the Mallee.
- Rationale: Renewables alone cannot meet Australia’s energy needs without costly backups. Exploring nuclear and maintaining existing baseload power prevents price spikes and blackouts.
5. Community-Led Decision-Making
- Action: Establish a Mallee Agricultural Protection Council, comprising farmers, local leaders, and independent experts, to oversee any future energy proposals. No project will proceed without majority community approval via transparent consultation.
- Purpose: Restore trust by giving Mallee residents a direct say in developments affecting their region, rather than decisions being imposed by distant governments or corporations.
- Rationale: Local knowledge is critical to balancing energy needs with agricultural priorities. Communities united are stronger than communities divided.
6. Environmental and Economic Accountability
- Action: Require renewable energy companies to post environmental rehabilitation bonds to cover decommissioning costs, ensuring farmland is restored to its original state when projects end. Ban foreign ownership of critical energy infrastructure in the Mallee.
- Purpose: Prevent abandoned turbines or solar panels from blighting the landscape and protect Australia’s economic sovereignty.
- Rationale: The lifecycle costs of renewables—manufacturing, maintenance, and disposal—are often ignored, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. Australian land deserves Australian control.
A Vision for Mallee’s Future
The Mallee is not a dumping ground for urban green fantasies or corporate greed. It is a region of proud farmers, vibrant communities, and endless potential. Pauline Hanson’s One Nation believes in a future where agriculture thrives, power bills are affordable, and our land is protected for generations to come.
As your candidate, I pledge to fight for policies that put Mallee first—cancelling destructive renewable projects, shielding our farmland from industrialisation, and ensuring energy policies work for rural Australia, not against it. Together, we can stop the bulldozers, lower costs, and secure a prosperous future for our farmers and families.
Vaughan Williams
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Candidate for Mallee