Part 2/6:
At the heart of the protest is a bill currently before Victoria’s lower house that significantly alters the landscape of land rights and government authority. The legislation permits transmission workers to forcibly enter private properties—breaking gates and cutting locks if necessary—to install and maintain hundreds of kilometers of new transmission lines designed to bolster the renewable energy grid.
Critics argue this represents an erosion of property rights, giving the government the power to bypass landowner consent under the guise of national interest. Landholders who refuse access could face hefty fines exceeding $12,000, sparking fears of coercive tactics and unfair penalties targeting rural Australians.