Agronomist and fifth‑generation farmer Chloe Harmer said the lack of consultation around the Dookie REZ had created uncertainty and anxiety for families.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Farmers in northern Victoria’s Dookie region said they were blindsided by plans to declare the area a Renewable Energy Zone, warning the move threatens some of the most productive cropping land in the state.
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Local grain growers said the decision was made without consultation and could see prime agricultural country carved up by solar, wind and transmission infrastructure.
In response, the Dookie community has launched a campaign opposing the proposed REZ, Protect Productive Landscapes – Dookie Hills & Goulburn Valley, and is running a petition calling for the zoning process to be paused.
They argue the region’s strong yields and role in food production make it an illogical place for large‑scale renewable development.
Chloe Harmer is an agronomist and fifth-generation cropping farmer in Dookie, growing wheat, canola and faba crops.
Ms Harmer said the region produced some of the highest yields in Victoria.
“From 2020 to 2024, Dookie averaged 6.5 tonnes per hectare — that’s 1.2 tonnes higher than the northern Victorian average,” Ms Harmer said.
“Last year, on‑farm yields were 4 to 5.5 tonnes per hectare on just 158 millimetres of rainfall — that’s an incredible water‑use efficiency.”
Prime agricultural land in the Dookie district, where growers fear renewable energy infrastructure could permanently fragment farms.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Ms Harmer said she was caught by surprise when the REZ was established over her home town.
“I had no idea about it at all — there was no consultation, no knowledge, no-one knew anything,” Ms Harmer said.
“We honestly don’t know what’s going to happen — nothing has been communicated to us, and that just spreads anxiety.”
Dookie grain grower Chris Ludeman said farmers were blindsided by the declaration of the region as a Renewable Energy Zone.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Chris Ludeman’s family has been farming in the Dookie region for six generations, and said the proposed zoning had been put through without consultation.
“We’re now in a renewable energy zone, and it feels like it was just dumped on us ... when do we get to have our say?” he said.
“They say there’ll be public meetings now, but where was that six months ago?”
Mr Ludeman said the high agricultural-value of the region should be preserved.
“This is prime agricultural dirt — some of the best farming land in Victoria, let alone Australia — and they want to put solar panels on it,” Mr Ludeman said.
The government said renewable energy zones would deliver long‑term economic and social benefits for regional communities, and that farmers would be able to choose whether to host projects.
