General News
7 May, 2025
Northern Grampians Shire Council withdraws from five-council alliance
Northern Grampians Shire Council has withdrawn from a five-council alliance created to collectively advocate to the State Government on issues, including transmission lines, renewable energy and mining.
The alliance, formed in February this year, also includes Buloke, Gannawarra, Yarriambiack and
Loddon councils, which are all directly impacted by or near the proposed alignment for the Victoria
to the New South Wales Interconnector, VNI West, transmission line, and proposed renewables.
Northern Grampians Shire deputy mayor Justine Hide said alliance members had been exploring
common ground about challenges created by transmission line, renewable energy, and mining
projects in their regions.
She said after further discussions, Northern Grampians councillors had decided to withdraw from the
alliance.
“Our shire is in quite a different position to the other four councils,” she said.
“The vast majority of our farmers are strongly opposed to the proposed VNI West transmission line
project, which is not necessarily the case in all the other shires.
“Our overriding priority as a council is to strongly support the wellbeing and resilience of our farming
community, given its vital importance to our municipality and the fact that agriculture overwhelmingly
underpins our local economy.”
Cr Hide said that for an alliance to work, all parties needed to have common interests.
“After our initial two meetings, it became apparent that our council has less in common than the other
councils involved, particularly when it comes to VNI West,” she said.
“That doesn't mean we won't work with other councils moving forward.
For example, for the past two years, we have run monthly online transmission forums, which have proven a valuable source of information for all stakeholders, including other councils.”
The announcement by Deputy Mayor of Northern Grampians Shire Council Justine Hide follows news about a deal the alliance made with VicGrid for $100 million, which Buloke Shire Mayor and Alliance Chair Alan Getley strongly denied.
"It is totally untrue, no deal or agreement has been made or even discussed with Vicgrid," Cr Getley said.
"I am bitterly disappointed the 5-council alliance had been misrepresented in some media over the weekend, causing stress and upset to many people in the Wimmera/Mallee who are already under immense pressure," he said.
Yarriambiack mayor Kylie Zanker also told Wimmera Mallee News that Yarriambiack Council, nor any other councils in the alliance, had made a deal.
Wimmera Mallee News has contacted Cr Getley for comment.