Arabic version: حزب أمة واحدة يعلن ملامح سياسة الطاقة في فيكتوريا خلال تجمع مارنو

According to ABC News, One Nation previewed its Victorian energy policy to about 1,000 supporters at a Farmers Fightback rally in Marnoo, western Victoria. The party promised to reinvest in coal and gas and oppose renewable energy projects, before a formal policy launch at Yallourn Power Station in Gippsland on Monday.

Victorian One Nation leader Warren Pickering said that, if elected, the party would remove VicGrid’s compulsory acquisition powers for the VNI West transmission project. He also said the party would abolish the renewable energy zone covering the area where the rally was held. VNI West is intended to bring wind power into the electricity grid and has drawn strong opposition from some farmers.

Federal One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said Victoria should consider new coal-fired power stations and nuclear reactors. She declined to say how new coal and nuclear projects would be funded, arguing renewable energy was not delivering affordable power. Mr Pickering said expanded coal and gas projects would be financed through private investment, but did not provide a cost estimate.

Farmers Fightback, a farmer-led group opposing large-scale renewable energy and transmission projects on agricultural land, hosted the event with One Nation. Chair Ben Duxson said the group’s main priority was stopping VNI West. Buloke Shire Council Mayor Graeme Milne said One Nation and the Coalition were “saying the right things” on the project, while farmer Cathy Ross said mining and farming could not coexist where mining destroyed land.

One Nation also named speech pathologist and former primary school teacher Donna Buxton as its candidate for Ripon. The party announced Stuart Robinson for Wendouree, Paul Ballinger for Eureka and Vaughn Williams for Western Victoria.