Business & Rural
9 February, 2026
Summer wrong time to consult - councils
PRESSURE is being put on the State Government by councils to abandon consultation during summer fire danger periods on controversial renewable energy projects.
PRESSURE is being put on the State Government by councils to abandon consultation during summer fire danger periods on controversial renewable energy projects.
Duck hunters have also joined the call that comes days before a two-day conference in Horsham this weekend.
Andrew Weideman’s new Across Victoria Alliance has organised the conference to be headlined by former deputy prime minister and now-One National MP Barnaby Joyce.
While Premier Jacinta Allan and Opposition leader Jess Wilson were invited, both have now declined after Ms Wilson’s withdrawal early this week.
Buloke Mayor Cr Graeme Milne said: “From Buloke’s perspective, our community and our people are our priority.
“Recent fires across our shire have again shown the strength and resilience of our communities, with local farmers, volunteers and emergency services working together to protect lives and property,” he said.
“These efforts highlight that responding to such events is a collective undertaking — it takes a community to manage and recover from challenges of this nature and importantly, those involved need time to rest and recover once the immediate danger has passed.
“Like anyone else in the community, they should be afforded the right to disconnect, switch off, and take a break, recognising the physical and emotional toll of these events – we ask the government to ‘Stop The Clock!’,” Cr Milne said.
Rural Council’s Victoria said: “It’s almost impossible for rural communities to engage meaningfully in big energy consultation processes while we are also dealing with bushfires.
“That’s why we’re asking the Victorian Government for an annual pause on all major project consultations, for the time span covering the official Fire Danger Period.
“This isn’t about being ‘for’ or ‘against’ individual energy or mining projects. It’s about procedural fairness. It’s about making sure everybody can have a say.
“We believe this is a common-sense change, and something the government can do with the stroke of a pen”
Meanwhile, Opposition energy and resources spokesman David Davis has accused the Government of botching energy policy,” he said.
“Labor has botched its energy policy and the rollout of low emission technologies in Victoria.
“Now in its 11th year, the tired Labor government has delivered the worst of all worlds; uncertain electricity and gas supply, matched with surging energy costs. Every Victorian’s electricity and gas bill went up on August 1, just adding further nasty payments for struggling families and small businesses on top of already increased energy costs.
“Far from going ‘down, down, down’, as claimed by Lily D’Ambrosio, electricity and gas costs across the state have surged, hurting families and they appear set to surge upwards further.
“The renewables energy zones (REZ) announced by the government won’t constrain these surging bill costs and appear to have little support across vast areas of regional Victoria.
“The changes to so-called renewable energy zones come amid controversy on Labor’s heavy-handed approach to its roll out using authoritarian laws and bullying tactics to overwhelm regional communities.
“What has happened to basic democracy in Victoria?
“And the roll out of Labor’s big transmission wires will force the electricity bills of every Victorian family upwards.
“VNI West for example is increasing from $3.4 billion to $7.6 billion with an upper estimate of $11.4 billion with every cent to be paid by Victoria’s long-suffering households and businesses through their electricity bills.”
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