Farmers and landholders across East Gippsland have joined wider regional outrage after the Victorian Parliament passed controversial amendments enabling energy companies to compulsorily acquire private farmland for transmission infrastructure before environmental assessments are finalised.
The changes, included in the Energy and Other Legislation Amendment (Resilience Reforms and Other Matters) Bill 2026, remove long–standing legal protections that previously required compulsory acquisition powers to wait until an Environment Effects Statement (EES) was completed. Critics say the move undermines the integrity of the environmental and planning process and creates uncertainty for families and agricultural businesses.
Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) president Brett Hosking said the decision left farming communities “gutted,” particularly those in rural regions such as East Gippsland where agricultural land and livelihoods are closely tied to family farms and food production.
“The Victorian Farmers Federation is gutted that Parliament has backed laws allowing farmers’ land to be taken for transmission lines before the environmental assessment is even finished,” Mr Hosking said.
Mr Hosking said the amendment would intensify anxiety and uncertainty among landholders already navigating the pressures of Victoria’s energy transition.
“This will pour fuel on the anxiety and uncertainty already gripping communities at the heart of the energy transition,” he said.
Local farmers fear the amendments could leave them with little leverage over where high–voltage transmission corridors are sited, and little recourse until after land has already been tied up in easements or contracts — even if an EES later identifies environmental or planning issues.
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“Families now face the shadow of compulsory acquisition hanging over them while they are still trying to understand what a project means for their homes and livelihoods, as well as provide comprehensive information to the EES process,” Mr Hosking said.
Farmers and landholders in East Gippsland have previously voiced concerns about transmission works and access on private land, with disputes previously reported between landowners and energy companies over access for maintenance and construction.
Mr Hosking said the legislation showed a lack of understanding of the sentiment on the ground in regional Victoria.
“It tells us that those in charge don’t genuinely understand the sentiment on the ground.
It sends a clear and devastating message to regional Victoria that getting towers in the ground matters more than delivering a robust Environmental Effects Statement and treating people with dignity.”
The VFF also thanked Members of Parliament who questioned and opposed the changes, saying their stance represented regional voices who had raised concerns about process and rights.
“We thank the members of Parliament who questioned and opposed this change on behalf of regional communities,” he said.
Supporters of the amendments argue they are necessary to accelerate the delivery of critical energy infrastructure and improve reliability as the state continues its transition to renewables. However, opponents maintain that transparency, consultation and environmental assessment should not be sidelined, particularly in farming regions such as East Gippsland where land and livelihoods are closely intertwined.
