Birchip farmers plough sign against wind turbines in ‘land rights’ campaign

Credit: By Barry Murphy - June 22 2025 - stockandland.com.au ~~

Birchip farmers have laid down a marker against the roll out of renewables in their area as their ’land rights’ campaign escalates.

Nyal Chivell, Birchip, ploughed the logo of their campaign organisation ’Farms For Food’ in a field of stubble last month. The message – to leave farms be farms and let farmers farm their land – was loud and clear.

Birchip landholders have renewable projects springing up on all sides and many, even though they are against the developments, are having their land impacted.

The Wilkur Energy Park was being developed on approximately 10,554 hectares of cropping land 11 kilometres south-west of Birchip, the Curyo Wind Farm was proposed approximately 12km north of Birchip and the Corack East Wind Farm was in development stage approximately 7km east of Birchip.

With wind farms on all sides – and not to mention nearby transmission line and mineral mine proposal – elsewhere in the Wimmera and Mallee region, farmers opting not to have the projects on their land are still affected by the state’s permission of ’buffer zones’ around the developing and proposed wind turbine sites.

The buffer zones span 1km from the sites, into neighbouring farmland, and are applicable from the time a renewables proposal is lodged. Infrastructural development is not permitted within the buffer zones, including the construction of dwelling houses or the renovation of existing structures.

The Chivell family’s land is bordered by two of the wind farm developments and a total of 60 per cent of Nyal’s land and 70pc of his brother’s land is within the buffer zones. Mr Chivell had plans to build a new house on his land, as he expected would be his right to do so, and even had planning permission approval from the Buloke Shire, but as soon as the buffer zone was rolled out, his building hopes were ended.

The wind farm proponent recently won a VCAT ruling, which disallows the house construction. The Chivell family have farmed at Birchip since the late 1800s and now, 130 years later, Mr Chivell is unable to build a house on his own land.

Drawing the ’Farms For Food’ sign in his field with his plough was a call for action. Fellow group member Marian Haddrick, Birchip, said the Chivell case, and that of many other nearby farmers, had become a major “property rights” issue.

“The impacted land holders are not in favour of these projects,” she said. “It’s a property rights issue and it speaks to people’s sense of social justice.”

Ms Haddrick said Farms For Food was an advocacy group set up to ensure local landholders were equipped with the right information when it came to understanding and opposing the renewable energy developments.

“As an advocacy group, we’re about information,” she said. “It’s about understanding and unpacking legislation and current affairs for landowners. “We’re really just wanting to be a voice for our community.”

The group was started in October last year and is gaining traction with both rural and urban dwellers, as well as politicians. “We’ve had a lot of support,” Ms Haddrick said. Those interested in supporting the farmers around Birchip as they fight back against the wind turbine developments can find out more here.

[rest of article available at source]

Source: By Barry Murphy - June 22 2025 - stockandland.com.au

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Contributions

(via Stripe)

(via Paypal)

Share: