“Bullying” under investigation

Alleged “heavy-handed” behaviour by an energy company is under police investigation, with the confrontation between the company and a landowner even making the small screen.

On Monday January 3, Toolern Vale farmer Michael Azzopardi appeared on ‘A Current Affair’, in a story which featured video footage of Mr Azzopardi repeatedly yelling at eight AusNet contractors to “get out” and leave his property.

The vision shows Mr Azzopardi falling to the ground during the confrontation, and he claims he was pushed by the contractors, who were there to do surveys for the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project (WVTNP).

“I was very upset, because I’ve got valuable mares that were in the paddock…they [AusNet’s contractors] just persisted to push me into the paddock, and they kept on saying to me, ‘We can see why we needed to do this, don’t get yourself into trouble’, when they were causing all the trouble,” Mr Azzopardi said.

“My main concern was my brood mares were heavy in foal. They could go through the fence, they could slip their foals…their [AusNet’s contractors] concern was their agenda to do their tests, they didn’t care about my concerns at all.”

Mr Azzopardi said he was not opposed to AusNet doing their tests, but had wanted an extra day to move his horses “into a smaller paddock, so they’re confined so they can’t run”.

To read the full story – Simply click on the following link

https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-01-25/4

in the 25 January 2022 edition
OR
pick up a paper around your town.