‘It takes too long:’ Solar and wind farm blockers to be weeded out to fast-track renewable projects. That was the headline in Renew Economy this week, referring to private landholders and farmers as ‘weeds’ to be removed because they raised objections to the march of renewable energy.

The content of the article was worse than the headline, revealing Victoria’s plans to pretty much hand-wave legitimate concerns from rural citizens.

These are people who have kept to themselves, running generational farms, and pouring their lives into the land. They have had their homes invaded by city politics and the virtue signalling of panicky school children.

The demonisation of farmers as being evil carbon emitters is starting to make sense. Politicians knew they were about to cause a class war and preemptively painted a villain to serve their interests.

Premier Jacinta Allan wants to see Renewable energy project planning reduced to four months via special fast-tracking which will classify them as a ‘significant economic development’ under the Development Facilitation Program.

As the article correctly states, this ‘removes the planning panel process and third-party appeals’.

In other words, the state that ran a whole campaign about listening to the ‘voice’ of the people, doesn’t want to hear those voices if they disagree with the Net Zero dystopia.

The Victorian government muttered that third-party objections – the complaints raised by the people who own the land and whose homes are in the way – will still ‘have a place’ in the approvals process. No power though, it seems.

As Energy Magazine stated:

‘Through the accelerated pathway, a dedicated facilitation team will oversee all renewable energy applications. Projects will also be monitored on an ongoing basis to identify blockers earlier and resolve them fast.’

Blockers. People.

The change is set to take effect from April 1.

‘We will cut the red tape holding back projects that provide stronger, cheaper power for Victorians,’ said the Premier.

Hardworking Australian landholders who put their faith in the law to uphold private property rights are the ‘red tape’ being removed or, if you prefer, ‘the weeds’ being sprayed.

‘The current system means that important projects can be tied up for years seeking approval,’ she continued. ‘It delays construction and deters investment, and instead of spinning turbines, we’re too often left spinning our wheels.’

The one question the Premier did not bother asking is why. Why are these projects being held up by communities? Why is the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal flooded with appeals? If Renewable energy is so wonderful, why are these projects facing constant legal battles in every state?

The Premier has taken the Stalin approach, declaring that the voice of the people is unimportant to the march of progress.

As the Victorian Farmers Federation tweeted out, it makes the years spent in good faith on consultation with Renewable energy companies nothing more than a sham.

If the people win on merit, the Labor Party smacks them in the face with rushed legislation.

‘The Victorian government has decided to steamroll Victorian farmers and regional communities with little regard to how it impacts their livelihoods and countless generations of family farms. We’ve heard that vast parts of Victoria’s farmland will be needed to reach our Renewable energy targets. If we can’t get this right now, our ability to produce the food and fibre needed to feed people will be severely inhibited. For government to say they are genuinely listening to the concerns of these communities and then completely ignore them and fast-track the process smacks of arrogance and them being completely tone-deaf,’ said Emma Germano, President of the Victorian Farmers Federation.

‘Vast’ in this case refers to at least 70 per cent of Victoria’s agricultural land which the government has said will be needed to meet the state’s Net Zero goals.

The Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio added, ‘Streamlining planning approvals for the cheapest form of new build power generation is so important.’

You know what else is important? Private property rights, the preservation of communities, and the protection of regional areas.

The reason Renewable energy projects are being held up in court is because the process is working correctly. These grand ideas for the ‘greater good’ are not fit for purpose.

What is perhaps the most interesting thing about this conversation is the change in attitude toward the concept of a ‘social licence’. Originally, ‘social licences’ were used to constrain mining operations and later by governments to push otherwise unpopular activist-driven projects. They were a voluntary layer of self-regulation which provided an ethical framework above legal obligations. In practice, they served as a marketing veneer in the spirit of 1960s’ conscious capitalism where companies frightened of having their profits attacked by re-incarnated Marxists shrouded themselves in the cloak of Greater Good. This approach worked when Net Zero carried a virtuous social licence. Now, social licences are being withdrawn by communities and the response from the government has been to say, oh well… and plough on.

With 10s of billions being held up by pesky peasants and their pitchforks, apparently it was always about the money.

Amy Kean of Stride Renewables commented on the social licence situation:

‘Just to show the social licence issue we have right now, Stride’s analysis shows the proportion of proponents objecting to renewable energy projects was greater than mining, coal, and extractive industries. We have a problem.’

Well, technically Renewable energy in general has a problem because the more people see of it, the more they hate it.

Even those who vote ‘green’ don’t particularly like the steel and concrete butchering its way across the landscape. Picturesque valleys and lush farming regions are quickly being carved up by Net Zero.

The selfishness of the inner-city voters and politicians demanding rural communities submit to this wanton destruction is driving a wedge between Australians.

At what point does a government become a dictatorship? Is it when politicians stop listening and implement their will having silenced dissent? Are we there yet? We must be getting pretty close.

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