General News
17 May, 2025
McRae settlers farm divided by transmission line
Warren and Kim McRae are generational farmers on the land settled by their ancestors 153 years ago.
Their sons, Alexander and Jack, are the sixth McRae generation on the farm and they run sheep and grow crops 20 kilometres west of St Arnaud.
They say the proposed 500 KV overhead power line planned by Victoria to New South Wales Intercennector West (VNI) across Victoria will split the McRae property in half and restrict their farming practices.
"Many of our neighbours are also descendants of the first settlers and are extremely opposed to the project and say they will fight to the end to stop it from happening," Warren said.
"The first settlers had an extremely tough life on land, which had no improvements, no fences, no water sources, or roads.
"They had to clear the land, build fences, housing, and dams by themselves. If they failed to do this, they were forced off their land, which happened to many," he said.
The ones that did hang onto their land had to endure many years of droughts, floods, depression, and wars.
"They didn’t do this to lose their farmland to an overseas-owned renewable project that has no support from any of the farmers in the district," Warren said.
He believes the VNI project and those managing it have had little regard for the community and failed to hold proper community consultation.
The project managers have approached some of our most vulnerable, and that has angered and divided the community.
"People don't realise if they sign contracts with this company, they may have signed their farm and life away," he said.
" But no one in the area has signed yet as far as I am aware," he said.
"TCV has provided some small community grants, but it's nothing compared to what we'll lose," he said.
"People think the farmers are getting huge compensation, but nobody wants it anyway."
He is concerned about how fires under the high-voltage power lines will be managed
"How many homes will be under threat in the event of a fire while this is being worked out?" he asked, "because we have no answers on any of this yet."
"Many brigades have already gone on strike and say they will only attend fires on land hosting renewables if someone’s life is in danger."
possible.
renewable energy projects have yet to be addressed.
fibre.
anywhere else in the world but not here somehow.
We mustn’t have any uranium?
"Why not build the reactors where existing power stations are?"
leave much room for food and fibre production," he said.
"People’s lights, TV’s, heaters, air conditioners, and fridges will be working, but there will be very little to eat."
