LODDON Shire wants to talk with landholders in the path of the controversial VNI West renewable energy transmission line before committing to a public statement.
Mayor Dan Straub told Tuesday’s council meeting that he had agreed to the shire’s name in a media statement to be released after Loddon, Buloke, Gannawarra, Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack Shires met last week to discuss “common issues seen with the rollout of VNI West”.
Cr Straub said he wanted to hear from landowners in the northern shire area on what “the project looks like to them ... what the community is telling us”.
Last week’s multi-council meeting came after Australian Energy Market Operator’s VNI West project arm Transmission Company Victoria was granted a transmission licence that will allow it to enter properties.
Victorian Farmers’ Federation president Brett Hosking said the licence must not be used to steamroll landholders in the path of planned renewable energy projects.
The licence enables TCV workers to legally enter farms and carry out preparatory works for the VNI West powerline without the need to obtain landholder consent. 
Mr Hosking said landholders and farmers had reacted with trepidation to the announcement and TCV had a duty to act respectfully and in good faith with impacted landholders and communities.
“TCV’s newly minted electricity transmission license doesn’t trump their social license obligations,” he said.
“There is a genuine sense of uneasiness around this decision and it boils down to a deplorable track record when it comes to these companies treating landholders and communities with respect.
“We absolutely cannot lose focus that those impacted are generational farming families and not ‘soft targets’ for compulsory access. These people are the glue of our regional communities and they deserve to be treated with dignity.
“The VFF is continuing to call on the Victorian Government to pause the VNI West project immediately until they get the community and landholder engagement right. We can’t stand idle and watch as prime agriculture land is irreversibly destroyed without consideration to the agriculture industry and the farming livelihoods at stake.
“Once destroyed, these landscapes can never be restored,” Mr Hosking said.