The government back-down on the Dookie zone was announced after state Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell addressed parliament.
Photo by
Contributed
The state government’s back-down on the Dookie renewable energy zone was not only a surprise but a glimpse into how the Victorian Government is behaving in pre-election mode.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell had prepared a speech urging the government to heed a petition to stop the new zone being placed across farming land between Pine Lodge and Glenrowan.
Farmers and residents didn’t want prime farming land being occupied by solar farms and wind turbines.
Ms Lovell put her case and then took her seat in the Legislative Council.
She was expecting a government member to respond, but didn’t expect the content of the reply.
A suburban Melbourne ALP member, Sheena Watt, rose to her feet about 4.45pm on Wednesday, and had the job of announcing the Central North Renewable Energy Zone was being abandoned, “on advice from VicGrid”, the authority charged with establishing the Victorian Transmission Plan.
Some of the people in the public gallery, including some local government representatives, knew the news was coming, but Jodie Fleming from the Protect Dookie and GV Community group didn’t, and she caught Ms Lovell’s startled eye in the chamber.
What was puzzling for Ms Fleming was that she had just witnessed a sustained series of interjections by Jaclyn Symes directed against Wendy Lovell. Ms Symes is the energy minister, and also happens to represent northern Victoria.
Ms Fleming described the interjections as “disrespectful” and “unprofessional” and was mystified why this was happening, when Ms Symes must have known Ms Lovell was going to get what she wanted, anyway.
The Dookie group had been trying unsuccessfully to get a meeting with Ms Symes to discuss the zone.
Watching the show in the gallery was Shepparton’s acting mayor, Cr Geoff Akers, Cr Anthony Brophy, National Party Victorian election candidate Shane Sali and state Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe.
Greater Shepparton City Council was sufficiently prepared for the announcement and punched out a thorough press release at 6pm.
The Dookie protest group was gearing up for a further battle before the state election, but is now planning a celebration of its win.
Some in the group put its success down to the imminent election and the new premier’s desire to get any obstruction off the table.
Although she is a state Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes didn’t break the news about the withdrawal of the Dookie renewable energy zone.
14°C