Farmers are being urged to have their say on statewide transmission plans proposed by the state government.
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The government agency charged with planning future transmission projects, VicGrid has released an online survey and mapping tool to help determine where future projects could be built.
Farmers in western Victoria have this year shown opposition to transmission line projects, staging protests in Melbourne and in regional Victoria and arguing they pose a danger during disasters.
But some farmers are also calling on faster progress on projects, and say that transmission infrastructure will lead to vital renewable projects and better power reliance in rural communities.
The survey and mapping tool is available on the Engage Victoria website and closes on January 31.
Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) president Emma Germano said it was important for farmers to have their say now to help guide future planning decisions.
"We have seen how [the] government's failure to plan the transition to renewable energy has led to bad projects like the Western Renewables Link and VNI West," she said.
"The government has started to listen to farming communities by committing to undertake widescale planning of transmission infrastructure.
"This is a commitment the VFF has been fighting to secure since the 2018 state election."
Recently released research from Farm Renewables Consulting showed renewable projects like agrivoltaics has huge potential for farmers in regions if better planned.
Ms Germano acknowledged that some types of farming can live with renewable energy and transmission infrastructure, but it could not happen in some other regions.
"The VFF does not want to see development in areas with the best soils and access to water," she said.
"You can't move the land somewhere else, and you can't compensate farmers and the community for the loss of that land."
"It is important to consider that wherever the government determines transmission lines need to be built, we will also see wind turbines, solar facilities and battery storage constructed in these zones.
"We must consider how this infrastructure impacts agricultural production too."
She said farmers needed to be a voice in identifying the land and infrastructure that is of strategic importance to the economy and said an recently announced inquiry into the security of Victoria's food supply showed food security was a priority
"Food security must be a top priority for [the] government when planning all infrastructure projects," she said.
The callout comes as conservative think tank the National Institute of Public Affairs released research that found one third of Australia's agricultural farmland will need to be covered in solar panels and wind turbines to generate a forecasted renewable energy demand by 2050.
"Policymakers cannot escape the reality of the impact wind and solar energy generation will have on Australia's landscape, particularly on our prime agricultural land, which will have to be sacrificed to satisfy net zero mandates," Institute of Public Affairs senior research fellow Dr Kevin You said.
Researchers from the think tank also visited farmers in the Mallee and Riverland regions to discuss renewable projects earlier this month.
