Wednesday, 12 August 2026

 Tim McCURDY (Ovens Valley) (10:54): I rise to speak on the 2025–26 budget estimates and in particular I want to move to 9.5, ‘Energy and resources portfolio’, page 147, highlighting finding 72:

As a result of its transition to 95% renewable electricity, the Government expects improved electricity affordability due to cheaper electricity generation.

In which universe does anybody think we are getting cheaper electricity? We certainly are not. Power prices have gone up in Victoria, and we know our own household bills have gone through the roof. Even constituents who tell me that they put in solar a few years ago and moved to a battery are still saying their power prices are higher than what they were five to 10 years ago. That is why, if we are genuinely trying to look at renewable energy and other opportunities, I must ask about hydroelectricity versus the solar factories that are being forced upon us in our region, certainly in Glenrowan and Meadow Creek.

In 1965, under the Bolte government, Lake Buffalo was built in north-east Victoria, just out of Myrtleford. It holds 93,000 megalitres. At the same time the land was purchased to build Big Buffalo. The benefits of Big Buffalo have been well talked about over time, and at the moment the land that has been purchased is full of weeds, blackberries and sambar deer. There is evidence that suggests that, should we build Big Buffalo, it has got the elevation that creates the perfect environment and hydraulics to then go on to hydroelectricity. That hydroelectricity could either go down to Lake Nillahcootie, which then goes into the Goulburn system and eventually into the Murray, or go down the Ovens River, again eventually getting into the Murray.

Communities that are being ridden roughshod over by solar factories that are coming into communities, where good agricultural land is being consumed, can see a solution right before their eyes. That solution could be – I am not saying it is, but it could be – building Big Buffalo, which would then help with that hydroelectricity. We already have hydro going in my electorate up at Mount Beauty. It is a very practical renewable energy, and of course there is room to improve on that. It seems like ever since solar factories and wind turbines came to town there is a new kid on the block, and everybody said, ‘That’s all we’ll concentrate on,’ when right before their very eyes there are opportunities to still look at renewable energy for reduced prices in electricity.

Certainly the Carroll Labor government simply will not even consider it. Neither of the Premiers before the current Premier would even look at hydro opportunities in the Ovens Valley. We know the benefits are storage of water for environmental benefits, less evaporation than any of the shallow lakes in the Murray-Darling Basin and of course recreational outcomes and tourism benefits. I have raised this, as I say, over the last 12 years, and there was the arrogance from the former former Premier, who just said, ‘Building dams doesn’t make it rain.’ That is just ridiculous, the stupidity – someone who came from a farming family should understand that we make hay when the sun shines and we certainly store water for a non-rainy day. That is the sort of attitude you need to have.

There is the National Water Grid Authority, which used to have $2 billion in it federally. I think that has been pilfered by the Albanese government, but there is still money there. That actually looks into scoping out projects – it is not money to build, but money to scope out and say, ‘Okay, should we build Big Buffalo on the existing Buffalo, taking it from 23,000 megalitres to a million megalitres? What are the opportunities for solar, recreation and other environmental uses?’ That is what that money can be used for. Up until now, over the last 12 years, the government has refused to look at that. I am sure they are driven by the Greens in their environmental policies, and that is where we seem to hit a brick wall all the time.

It is important that we do look into these opportunities. We talk about trying to get cheaper electricity. Here is a situation that is right before your eyes and that still exists. We can look into something like Big Buffalo, because the land has been purchased, it is sitting there and it is ready to go. As I say, if we spent some time, instead of just pushing solar factories, as I call them, onto good agricultural land, dividing communities, making life difficult for communities and destroying communities, we could see these options and opportunities for hydroelectricity with the building of Big Buffalo.