Angus Verley

3 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Angus Verley |Andrew Kelso

Victorian farmers have launched a last-ditch effort to block a tax hike that could cost them tens of thousands of dollars. Last year, the Victorian government announced its Fire Services Levy would be expanded and rebranded to become the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund. All property holders will pay significantly more, not just for fire services, but for seven other agencies like Triple Zero Victoria.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Angus Verley |Jane McNaughton

A company is proposing to build a 250-kilometre-long underground transmission line in Victoria. Syncline Energy says the line would delay the need to build two controversial projects. An energy policy researcher says the proposal is worthy of serious consideration but the state government says initial analysis shows significant challenges.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Angus Verley

A Senate committee has criticised the handling of the 3G network shutdown and recommended support for people who have lost mobile phone coverage. On October 28 Telstra and Optus switched off their 3G networks to expand and upgrade 4G and 5G systems with the promise that the coverage would be equivalent or improved. The Senate's Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee found the 3G shutdown "should have been managed better".

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Angus Verley

Farmers in the path of a major cross-border power transmission line are vowing to lock their gates against project developers that have been given the power to access their farms without permission. The Victoria-New South Wales Interconnector (VNI) West transmission line is part of the Australian Energy Market Operator's plan to transport energy between states as more renewables come online.

2 months ago | abc.net.au | Daniel Miles |Eden Hynninen |Angus Verley |Syan Vallance

Katelynn Clark felt certain her home would burn to the ground when a raging bushfire hit the edge of her rural property on Monday night. Ms Clark runs a mixed sheep and cropping farm on the northern edge of the Little Desert National Park in western Victoria where a fast-moving blaze this week destroyed more than 63,000 hectares of land.