Why these Victorian Country Fire Authority volunteer firefighters have vowed to let blazes burn around new renewable power plants and transmission lines
Volunteer firefighters in central north Victoria are so against this renewable power plants and transmission lines in their area, they will let the fires burn around them instead of tackling the fires.
Captains from five brigades wrote to the Country Fire Authority (CFA) and the state government to say they are not prepared to fight fires near or involving infrastructure such as the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector (VNI West).
VNI West is a planned transmission line that would run hundreds of kilometers through Victorian farmland, sparking angry protests from farmers who say they don’t want it on their land.
The line is planned for “across the dry agricultural area, where we have a six-month fire danger period,” Gre Gre Village CFA Brigade Captain Peter Knights told Daily Mail Australia.
“It’s going to be very dry and hot and we’re having quite large fire events, and it’s a barrier for us to attack or fight ongoing grass fires because we can’t move under the transmission lines because the smoke is conductive.
Volunteer firefighters (pictured) in central north Victoria are so opposed to renewable power plants and transmission lines that they are letting the fires burn around them instead of tackling the fires
“And it runs the risk of what we call a flashover, where the electricity will arc to the ground at a high voltage, and if you’re under it, it will kill you.”
Mr Knights and his fellow firefighters also object to the VNI West because of the economic value of the land it aims to cover.
“They’re putting this transmission line and also putting a renewable energy zone over some of the top grain and livestock producing countries,” he said.
‘That renewable energy zone may not cover productive agricultural land.’
As well as volunteers from CFA brigades in Gre Gre Village, Traynors Lagoon, Gooroc, Callawadda and Wallaloo East, the group claimed it had also ‘received commitments from a further 19 affected brigades’.
In a statement, the group said it also wants to “add the support of many more people, either by joining our proposed action or taking their own version of action.”
“We see that the imposition of all this infrastructure and our demand to then protect that asset that has been imposed on us will divide our communities,” Mr Knights said.
He denied that the group is driven by an anti-sustainability agenda, saying VNI West is “being steered into the wrong area and this brings additional risks.”
‘There is no political alignment with this group, but there will be political beliefs or thoughts within the individual members.
“We’re not saying we’re pro-nuclear or pro-coal, but we’re certainly saying that renewable energy in the wrong place is a bad idea and that in reality it has been imposed on us without proper consultation.”
However, Mr Knights said using renewable energy “is only a short-term solution”. We are setting up wind turbines that have a lifespan of 25 years… and what after that?’
He denied that the group is funded by fossil fuel financiers.
‘We are five very small fire brigades from the local population and our budget is entirely self-financed, because it doesn’t cost us much to raise a hand and say we’re not coming.’
The aim of the group is to ‘at the very least a real discussion about what is expected of volunteers and the impact on the communities where these things are placed.”
Mr Knights said their campaign is also aimed at ensuring that the areas VNI West would pass through are protected and can attract people to live there in the future.
The line is planned for “over the dry agricultural area, where we have a six-month fire danger period,” said Peter Knights, captain of the Gre Gre Village CFA brigade. The photo shows the firefighters involved
“You want to solidify your area as a good place to be, and it’s pretty hard when no one wants to live there because there’s a tap, tap, tap of a wind tower overhead, or it’s just a completely different place to be.” live. than what it used to be,” he said.
CFA’s deputy chief officer Brett Boatman said yes working with “members on issues surrounding fighting fires near transmission lines and renewable energy sources such as solar farms and battery energy storage solutions.”
“The concerns of our CFA members have been heard and we are working with them to ensure the correct information is available,” Mr Boatman told Daily Mail Australia.
“CFA recognizes the concerns of the community and respects the rights of our members to participate in matters relevant to their local community.”