Farmers Block Transmission Line, Face Forced Entry

0:00It's February 27th. Here's your Adelaide News in two minutes. Victorian farmers blocking a major transmission line project now have 30 days to grant access to their land for environmental surveys. Vic Grid, the planning agency behind the VNI West Initiative, sent letters in late February to 27 holdout landholders. Without compliance, officials can enter by force and issue hefty fines. The project involves building a 500-kilometer high-voltage line to connect renewable energy zones across Victoria and New South Wales. It costs about $7,600 million and is key to reliable power during the shift to clean energy. Farmers remain defiant, with some like bin ducks and vowing crowds of block entry and they're ready for arrests. Others, including Emma Bork, raise alarms over fire risks, biosecurity, and harms agriculture. They feel ignored on alternatives and say the fight is taking a heavy mental toll. Vic Grid notes they've sought access for years without success

1:02on these properties, but nearly 170 other landholders have cooperated. Officials describe broad support along the route. Meanwhile, Vic Grid stays open to voluntary talks right up to the deadline and beyond, calling forced entry a last resort under new state powers too. Push the essential work forward. This episode is supported by our sponsor. See details in the description. Some chase piece. I put my head in it, S-O-L-L-I, solelypillow.com.