As the Australian government looks towards a net-zero future, the question becomes where to put the solar and wind farms needed to make that happen.
Across the country, some farmers are pushing back against plans for agricultural land to host wind turbines and solar panels, saying farmland should be reserved solely for food production.
But other farmers are already co-existing with renewable energy projects and say it has had little to no impact on their agricultural output while providing a guaranteed income in the lean years.
‘A seat at the table’
In south-west Victoria, Moyne Shire is home to seven wind farms, with two more under construction, another due to start construction next year, and a further four proposed.
The Moyne Shire website says the LGA is part of a region that contributes around a quarter of Australia’s dairy exports and domestic produce. (ABC News: Olivia Sanders)
The shire could soon be producing up to 3 gigawatts of energy annually — enough to power every Victorian household.
The state government’s new renewable energy unit VicGrid is mapping the state for future locations of wind farms, solar farms and transmission lines, and it has earmarked more than half of Moyne Shire as worth investigating for such projects.
Moyne is also one of Australia’s top dairy-producing shires, and part of the broader south-west Victorian region that produces about a quarter of the country’s annual milk supply.
The dark blue hexagons on the proposed study map represent areas deemed most suitable for investigation for renewable energy zones. (Supplied: VicGrid)
Local dairy farmers Anna and Joseph Conheady said a clean-energy future was a “fundamental priority” for Australia, but called for food producers to have a “seat at the table” in planning that future.
“Land owners and agricultural business are entirely dependent on a greener climate for our long term sustainability,” Mr Conheady, a fifth-generation dairy farmer, said.
“Net zero targets and policies must include a broader perspective than just our energy, we must include our food growing needs.”
But the Conheadys said Australia’s best food growing land should be reserved for farming.
The Conheadys say the renewable energy and agriculture industries could better co-exist in more sparsely populated areas. (ABC News: Olivia Sanders)
“That is the best option to ensure that our food production is as carbon efficient as possible,” Ms Conheady said.
Dairy production typically isn’t impacted by nearby wind turbines, but when a proposal for a wind farm next door to the Conheady’s farm was lodged, it triggered a permit process for on-site worker housing that otherwise would not have happened.
The Conheadys said these kinds of legal processes could disincentivise farmers from starting or growing food production businesses.
“Sensible planning would say that in particular production zones we need to place agricultural businesses as having the higher priority when such conflict occurs,” Ms Conheady said.
The other side of the fence
Moyne Shire’s first wind farm was built in 2001, and in 2013 it became home to what was at that point the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere at Macarthur.
Farming has continued in and around these projects, though the increasing number of turbines in the shire has met growing community pushback.
One farmer, whose property will soon host wind turbines, refused to speak on the record for fear of becoming a target.
The ABC also understands that some farmers hosting wind farms in south-west Victoria have been on the receiving end of threats and physical violence, however the ABC has been unable to speak to farmers who can verify this.
Wind turbines in Kojonup, WA. (ABC News: Andrew Chounding)
Future-proofing the bad years
Over in Western Australia’s Great Southern region, fourth-generation farmer Hamish Thorn runs sheep and farms crops on the same land he leases to wind turbine companies.
He said it had been a seamless integration with barely any downside.
“It doesn’t take up that much space and it’s a guaranteed income,” Mr Thorn said.
“It’s future-proofing bad years in farming and that’s one of the biggest risks.”
Hamish Thorn says traditional agriculture and energy production on farms can co-exist harmoniously. (ABC News: Andrew Chounding)
Mr Thorn said between increasing costs, slimming margins and climate variability, on-site turbines helped support food production by allowing farmers to stay profitable for longer.
While he understood some concerns, he believed renewable energy infrastructure sharing space with agriculture businesses would become the new normal.
“There’s some genuine concerns around noise and visual impacts, and sure you can see them from a long way away,” Mr Thorn said.
“But I’d challenge anyone to say now that it materially impacts any of the neighbours’ farming practices. It barely impacts ours and it’s right on our doorstep.”
Mr Thorn and three other nearby farms have a total of 18 wind turbines across their properties. (ABC News: Andrew Chounding)
RE Future’s Sev Staalesen, who is the project director of the wind farm proposed near the Conheadys’ farm, said the compatibility of the two land uses had already been proven.
“Like all livestock, dairy cattle are completely comfortable grazing under wind turbines, and they’ve even been known to use them for shade and scratching,” Mr Staalesen said.
“Wind farms are located in dairy farming regions all over the world, including in Europe and North America, and dairy farming has continued around them without a problem.
“Similarly, there are two wind farms operating in this very region, namely the Timboon West Wind Farm and Ferguson Wind Farm, and neither has had any impact on the dairy farms that surround them.”
What comes next?
As VicGrid moves a step closer to defining Victoria’s renewable energy zones, chief officer Alistair Parker said community feedback would provide essential guidance.
“No data set is ever perfect, so we’re getting real information about land use and environmental factors,” Mr Parker said.
“And we’ll then use that more detailed information to choose more suitable and narrower areas.
“It’s going to be a much, much smaller area that is needed for this infrastructure, but we wanted to have a really open and transparent process of how that narrowing takes place.”
