Article by Fiona Sheean, courtesy of The Weekly Times
10.12.2025
More than 200 farmers and community members packed Shady Creek Hall last week to voice fierce opposition to multiple industrial-scale battery storage projects proposed for prime dairy country in West Gippsland.
The showdown with Samsung representatives highlighted growing anger over Battery Energy Storage System projects planned for Shady Creek, Yarragon North and Trafalgar East – all outside the Victorian government’s designated Gippsland Renewable Energy Zone.
One proposed battery facility will be built just 30m from dairy farmer Craig McWhinney’s boundary, with a second 2–3km away.
Four dairy farms within 500m of the developments produce 12 to 14 million litres of milk collectively each year.
Concerns include fire risk, noise pollution, groundwater contamination, environmental impacts and loss of prime agricultural land.
Mr McWhinney said the biggest fear for farmers was fire contamination shutting down their operations.
“We shouldn’t have to fight a multinational company to keep what we’ve built,” he said.
