Twelve families in western Victoria were hit with A$814 infringement notices on August 4, 2026 after authorised officers from the state electricity regulator were denied entry to conduct surveys for the 480‑km VNI West high‑voltage line. The line, a 500‑kV double‑circuit project, is set to link Victoria’s renewable energy hubs to New South Wales and is estimated to cost between A$7.6 billion and A$11.4 billion.
Farmers argue that the surveys, timed during lambing season and other sensitive periods, risked livestock and disrupted core operations. Trent Carter, a fifth‑generation sheep farmer from Wallaloo East, told reporters that the visit could endanger his Merino studs and that negotiations for a later date fell through. Elderly couple Colin and Mary Fenton, owners of a 103‑year‑old farm near Kerang, raised concerns about a protected wedge‑tailed eagle nest and the potential loss of land value.
The penalties were issued under the Electricity Industry Act 2000, which grants officers the right to access privately owned land for electricity‑infrastructure planning. While six other landowners received formal warnings, the twelve fined families have filed a legal challenge, arguing that the act’s provisions are too broad and that their property rights were infringed.
Victorian officials maintain that the surveys are a necessary step in the project’s environmental assessment, which is still underway. They also point to the line’s role in improving grid reliability and accelerating renewable energy integration across state borders.
The case will now be heard by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, where the farmers seek an injunction to halt further access attempts until a full judicial review of the act’s application is conducted.
As the project moves forward, opposition groups are rallying support from local councils, and the debate over land access rights is set to intensify in the coming months.