Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. In the gallery today are Glenden Watts and Bill Baldwin, and many other farmers from Mallee who will be impacted by the government's fast-tracking 28,000 kilometres of poles and wires across regional Australia. How many more farmers like Glenden and Bill will be impacted by Labor's arrogant policy to steamroll local communities in pushing forward 28,000 kilometres of transmission lines?

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for her question, but say to her and the House, it would've been better if that question was more anchored in the facts. The facts of the matter—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Gippsland. The minister will continue with his answer and be heard in silence, otherwise people will leave the chamber.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The honourable member made a number of assertions in her question. It is appropriate to point out that those assertions are incorrect. In relation to VNI West I'll say this: the number of farms affected will depend in no small part on the final routes selected. AEMO made an announcement two weeks ago that they had changed the proposed route based on community feedback. That is no bad thing. The new Option 5A pivots away from its original path, heading north-west instead of through Charlton and the broad irrigation district, to skirt around Kerang and hit the Murray River downstream of Barmah. This is the result of community consultation. Community consultation is something we take very seriously in the government.

In fact, in the last sitting week, I met with the Murray River Group of Councils, who came to me to talk about the route. I accepted the meeting request, of course. They asked to speak to me about it. They said to me that they appreciated the consultation that AEMO and the federal government had engaged on. They appreciated the engagement with the government. They made that point to me. They requested a meeting and they got one.

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will pause. Order! The member for Mallee is entitled to be heard in silence.

Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order on relevance. I asked how many other farmers will be impacted like Glenden and Bill, with their farms.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being relevant by explaining the process. I'm listening carefully to his answer. He has only been going for about half his answer, and I'm listening carefully to make sure he's relevant. He is being relevant to the question and he has the call.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, I met with those mayors in the impacted area. They made clear to me their support for the project. In fact, they announced in response to the government's announcement of Rewiring the Nation that, with local supply chain investment estimated to be in excess of $1 billion and with more than 3,000 jobs in the construction phase, this investment will deliver stimulus effects and long-term economic and social benefits.

Opposition members interjecting—

Why don't you care what the mayors say? I'm wearing this support badge which they gave me, and they thanked me for the engagement of the federal government. I'll tell you what—

Opposition members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The minister will pause. The member for Fairfax is warned. The Leader of the Nationals is on a warning. The minister, in continuation, will be heard in silence.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to the honourable member that if she wants to meet with me to talk about these issues, she's welcome to, as other honourable members have, and as the member for Eden-Monaro regularly has on similar matters in her electorate. That is what good representatives do—seek a meeting with the minister and talk the issues through. But we'll talk about the facts. The fact of the matter is that this VNI West link has been discussed for many years. We are getting on with the job. But we aren't, to be fair, the first government to focus on this issue. The previous government also focused on the issue. In fact, my predecessor, the then minister for energy, said:

We are investing in VNI West because it is expected to generate $1.9 billion in net market benefits …

That's what the member for Hume, my predecessor, said about this project. He was backing it in, saying how important it is. This is an important project that will be delivered properly by this government. (Time expired)