![Dr Anne Webster. Dr Anne Webster.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ben.fraser/ebb229b7-ffef-4c07-b158-645f5d515663.jpg/r0_0_5184_3456_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
I am encouraged to see communities continuing to stand up to the Australian Energy Market Operator and Labor Governments on the Victoria-New South Wales Interconnector West Project.
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The message is loud and clear - Mallee is not your dumping ground for bad policy.
This week I met with Wallaloo and Gre Gre District Alliance Group member Heidi Lang in Stawell to discuss her concerns and her community's frustrations with the project.
On Monday I brought Leader of the Nationals and Shadow Agriculture Minister David Littleproud to hear from farmers and their communities at a meeting in Charlton.
Another large crowd of people gathered there and certainly made their voices heard.
Today a forum will inform the Loddon Shire community about the project and allow them to have their say.
The Nationals are calling for a Senate Inquiry into transmission lines and their impact on regional Australia and the Energy Market.
Time and again, Labor proves they are prepared to repeat their mistakes of poor planning and implementation. I am furious that yet again regional Australians, not Labor, will bear the consequences of those failures.
Eminent professors Bruce Mountain and Simon Bartlett belled the cat with their excellent report on VNI West saying it was a "monumental mistake." Labor need to justify the phenomenal and unnecessary expense of these transmission lines.
Farmers have the right to get on with feeding and clothing Australia and the world without being threatened by poor policy.
Country people deserve better.