Victorian dairy farmers have demanded a review of the impact of feed-in electricity tariffs, and the maintenance of existing arrangements to avoid financial detriment to those producing electricity from solar systems.
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Crossley dairy farmer Karinjeet Sing-Mahil, of the Wannon branch, told delegates at the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria conference, expansion, or installation of new solar systems, meant the original feed tariff was lost.
“We went to considerable expense to install solar power on our house and on our dairy, and did that on the basis we would be receiving 66 cents/kwh, to feed it into the grid,” Ms Singh-Mahil said.
She said expanding the system would mean a reduction in the feed in tariff to five c/kwh, with an eventual rise to 11c/kwh.
“The arrangements in place at the beginning should be retained.”
“It is a disincentive to people expanding their current systems, or putting in new systems, and it’s important we continue to grow the amount of power available.”
Delegates also called for all Australian governments to prepare and action an energy supply and delivery plan, to support the dairy industry, rural communities and economies.
Wannon branch delegate Oonagh Kilkpatrick said infrastructure needed to be upgraded to both meet and protect current needs and also provide the foundation for the next 50 years.
“What we have, in our region, is a number of businesses, both dairy and engineering, who are operating under SWER (Single Wire Earth Return) lines, who cannot generate enough power to run those businesses successfully – they cannot employ the people they could do, to financially input into those rural economies,” Ms Kilpatrick said.
“We are limiting the rural economies development, and that then feeds into the rural centres.”
She said the branch was asking for the reliability and quality of supply to be upgraded.
UDV policy councillor Daryl Hoey raised questions about the resolution, saying what was missing was a long term strategy around investment or a price on carbon.
South West Coast Liberal MP Roma Britnell backed the resolution, saying the south-west was ready to grow, but was hampered by lack of reliable energy.
“The food and fibre plan has just been funded by this government, so we can explore possibilities, into the future,” Ms Britnell said.
“We have access to land, which is important, dairy country – if we can’t get the juice, to turn on those dairies, we cannot grow, and this industry has a brilliant future.”
“Right now, we can’t turn on our dairies.”
