For nearly five years, we’ve fought to expose the technical flaws, process failures, and outright deception behind the Western Renewables Link (WRL). And we’ve done it with facts, expert reports, and undeniable evidence.

We’ve proven — beyond question — that the WRL’s current route is dangerous, reckless, and damaging. It threatens lives, livelihoods, farmland, bushland, and biodiversity. It’s a project plagued by poor planning, fire risk, environmental destruction, and a total disregard for the people who live here.

And yet, the government refuses to listen.

They hide behind the tired excuse of “keeping the lights on,” even though it’s their own bad planning that’s put the Victorian Energy System at risk. Their indifference is not just arrogant — it’s a betrayal of the people they’re meant to serve.

We’ve Been Ignored for Too Long

The inertia from our so-called federal representatives has been deafening.

Labor MPs Sam Rae (Hawke) and Catherine King (Ballarat) have done little more than whisper “concerns” about WRL — while doing nothing of substance to stop it.

Let’s be honest:

• ❌ Have they stopped the towers?
• ❌ Have they stood beside farmers, our communities, CFA volunteers, or local councils?
• ❌ Have they demanded a federal review of this dangerous project?
• ❌ Have they supported viable options such as Plan B or the Syncline Community Cable?

No. They haven’t.

Instead, they’ve tiptoed around the issue, trying to protect their political careers instead of protecting the people who put them there. That’s not representation — it’s abandonment.

WRL Is Not Just a Bad Project — It’s a Dangerous One

• Cuts through bushfire zones, endangering lives and blocking CFA access
• Destroys over 10,000 acres of high-value agricultural land
• Fragments endangered ecosystems and native wildlife corridors
• Triggers mental health stress and division in close-knit communities
• Raises safety and social licence concerns

This isn’t progress. It’s a disaster — wrapped in green tape.

Real Leadership Is Stepping Up

Simmone Cottom (Liberal Candidate – Hawke) and Paula Doran (Liberal Candidate – Ballarat) have stepped forward when others stepped back.

Paula Doran’s words say it best, taken from the Moorabool News,  https://timesnewsgroup.com.au/themooraboolnews/news/candidate-mp-in-war-of-words-over-wrl-proposal/

“The people of Ballarat are being let down by their local Labor members. Catherine King is not only in Parliament, she’s the Federal Infrastructure Minister. Yet she’s done nothing to step in and protect our community. King’s silence has left people in limbo.

“This project has distressed our communities and bulldozed through legitimate local concerns. The Victorian Labor Government has failed in its duty of care to protect our regional communities, and it is an absolute disgrace.”

“Communities and landholders will always come second to Labor’s targets.”

“Four years ago, she stood in one of these rich potato growing paddocks and rejected the AusNet proposal.  And now, she is silent, as her constituents cry out for help.  Ms King should be ashamed. Labor, should be ashamed.

Ms Doran said that there is now broader concern in the community that fire fighters will be unable to attend fires around the towers due to safety risk.  “The possible safety risks and destructive impact on prime agricultural land and our valued natural assets are legitimate concerns, but throughout the four-year process my community has been ignored by Labor at both a state and federal level.

The Coalition advocates for a balanced energy mix comprising renewables, gas, storage, and zero-emissions nuclear power, aiming to minimize the impact on prime farmland and regional Australia.

Paula is right. We’ve been abandoned by those in power — and it’s up to us to change that.

Ask for yourselves.

Challenge your candidates: will they take real action to scrap the Western Renewables Link?

This Is Our Moment — Let’s Make It Count

If we re-elect politicians who have failed to act, we’re giving them permission to ignore us again.

WRL should never have been approved. It threatens:

• The farmland that feeds Victoria
• The safety of fire-prone communities
• Cultural heritage sites and endangered species
• And the integrity of our democratic process

We don’t need more empty words. We need action. We need courage. We need change.

Your Vote Is Your Power

This federal election is not just about politics — it’s about survival.

Why vote for more of the same:

Career politicians like Rae and King who’ve sat on their hands while our communities suffer.

Vote to Stop WRL

Vote for Real Representation

Vote for Communities Over Corporations

SHARE THIS WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS

Talk to your family. Forward this email. Drop a copy in a letterbox. This is our best — and maybe our last — chance to stop WRL.

Let’s make it count. Let’s vote for our future.