Wimmera grain grower Simon Tickner has joined a huge cross section of regional Australia living in the thick of our shift to renewable energy who have come together as part of a new film series.
Simon joins former coal workers, parents, community leaders and former Councillors to deliver frank and optimistic perspectives that highlight what regional Australia can be gaining from the energy shift.
For 50 years, the Tickner's broadacre grain farming enterprise near Horsham has successfully operated under transmission lines and, more recently, they have also added wind turbines to the mix. Simon agreed to share his family's story as preferred easement discussions are carried out with landholders in his community for vital new transmission infrastructure.
Wallup grain grower Simon Tickner said: "Before the transmission lines went in, I remember my father being a bit unsure about the impact it would have on our farming operations. But 50 years on, and we can tell you that transmission lines matched with renewable energy like wind towers have made our property worth more. It's simple economics. You're earning extra income off that plot of land, that makes the farm worth more. We bought an additional block of land this year that has two transmission towers on it, and I'll tell you what - they had no negative impact on the price we had to pay for the place."
Submissions to the Australian Senate's Select Committee Inquiry on Energy Planning and Regulation close at the end of this week (18 October) and the regional stories in this film series have been profiled in a joint submission because they clearly articulate a range of issues for the Select Committee to consider, such as:
How can traditional energy regions continue supplying power to our country via offshore wind?
How can communities benefit from hosting large scale renewable infrastructure like wind and solar farms?
How can communities own large scale renewables themselves?
How can regional communities reliant on heavy industry be powered by offshore wind?
Farmers have farmed with transmission for decades - what can we learn?
What are the pros and cons of living next door to a wind farm?
RE-Alliance National Director Andrew Bray said: "What these five films show is that communities hosting renewable energy urgently need local support to engage directly with Australia's energy shift."
One solution being called for is for the Federal Government to fund Local Energy Hubs for regional communities in the upcoming Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
Local Energy Hubs would be a network of 50 outreach centres to answer questions about transmission and renewable energy projects while helping households, businesses and farms get more value out of going electric.
