Why the Central North REZ is the Wrong Location

The Dookie district sits within the Goulburn Valley — one of Victoria’s most important agricultural regions supporting food production, livestock systems, edible oils and biofuel feedstocks.
Verified local and industry data show:
- Wheat yields: 5–8 tonnes per hectare (dryland), supporting food and livestock feed supply
- Canola yields: 3–4 tonnes per hectare, supplying edible oils, livestock meal and biofuel feedstocks
Three local farms have also been selected for GrainCorp NEXT, a national low-emissions canola supply chain program involving only 12 farms Australia-wide, demonstrating the region’s importance to emissions-reduction initiatives already underway.
This land is already contributing to Victoria’s food system and energy transition.
The Goulburn Valley supports:
- grain and oilseed production
- livestock feed systems
- food manufacturing
- edible oil supply
- renewable biofuel feedstocks
Protecting this landscape protects both food security and climate goals. Fragmenting high-performing agricultural land with permanent infrastructure undermines the very systems required for a resilient low-carbon future.
Once this land is compromised, it cannot be replaced or relocated.
The Dookie landscape contains known and likely Aboriginal cultural heritage, including:
- greenstone and chert outcrops used for tool-making
- quarry sites
- ancient waterways and prior streams
- intact hill country and plains
Current planning relies on Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Sensitivity mapping based on coarse, statewide geological datasets. These datasets do not capture many landscape-scale cultural features present in this region.
Importantly:
- The absence of mapped sites does not indicate an absence of cultural heritage
- The area has not undergone comprehensive on-ground cultural surveys
- Much of the landscape remains relatively undisturbed, increasing the likelihood of undocumented sites
Planning decisions are therefore being made using incomplete cultural information.
The proposed REZ footprint overlaps:
- Brolga habitat
- wetlands and drainage lines
- remnant native vegetation
- broad floodplain systems across the Dookie plains
Since the decommissioning of historic stock and domestic channels, water now moves more naturally across the landscape. Despite this:
- No region-wide floodplain or cumulative hydrology assessment has been completed
- The risk of infrastructure blocking or redirecting natural flows has not been fully assessed
These risks directly affect agricultural productivity, ecosystems and downstream communities.
Dookie supports a growing visitor economy tied directly to its landscape and unique visual impact, including:
- Mount Major Summit Walk
- Dookie Rail Trail
- spring canola tourism
- cycling events
- weddings, retreats and regional hospitality
No comprehensive visual impact assessment has been undertaken from Mount Major or other key viewpoints, despite the scale and permanence of proposed infrastructure.
Industrial-scale development would permanently alter this unique landscape valued for its natural character and community amenity.
A Greater Shepparton City Council community survey found:
- 84% of respondents had no opportunity to participate in consultation
- 74% oppose the current REZ proposal
- 76% believe the boundary selection process is flawed
These findings indicate a clear failure to meaningfully engage with affected communities.