Police investigate confrontation between farmer and electricity giant

Police are investigating after a heated confrontation on a Toolern Vale property between a farmer and contractors of electricity giant AusNet.

In vision shared with A Current Affair, Victorian farmer Michael Azzopardi appears to fall to the ground during a heated confrontation with the contractors who arrived on the property to conduct a land survey as part of the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project.

"I was very upset because I have valuable mares that were in the paddock," Mr Azzopardi told A Current Affair's Seb Costello.

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"They just persisted to push me into the paddock and they kept saying to me 'we can see why we had to do this, don't get yourself into trouble', when they were causing all the trouble."

AusNet plans to link wind turbines in Western Victoria to Melbourne's electricity grid by running towers through private properties to complete the circuit, a plan which many private property owners have opposed.

Mr Azzopardi claims he requested AusNet to come the following day to allow him to move his mares into another paddock, but the contractors showed up anyway.

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AusNet denied this and in a statement to A Current Affair said they had already provided Mr Azzopardi with additional time, delaying the original land survey date.

"AusNet has reviewed all correspondence and the land access itself and believes its team acted appropriately under the circumstances," a spokesperson for the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project said.

Mr Azzopardi said he was visibly upset when the contractors arrived, concerned for his mares.

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"My main concern were my brood mares were heavy in foal, they could slip through the fence, they could slip their foals," Mr Azzopardi said.

"Their concern was their agenda, to do their tests and they didn't care about my concerns at all."

Mr Azzopardi's neighbour Mick witnessed the confrontation and filmed it on his phone.

"It's not right for anyone to be treated like that," Mick said.

"It was too heavy handed for my liking. Too heavy handed."

A complaint has been made to Victoria Police regarding the incident with Mr Azzopardi.

A statement by a spokesperson for the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project:

AusNet follows a very strict official process before and during every land survey and wrote to and contacted Mr Azzopardi on several occasions before his land survey on 29 September. His original land access was scheduled for 17 September but Mr Azzopardi's lawyer requested extra time, which AusNet agreed to. Upon arrival Mr Azzopardi declined access and requested the team conduct the survey the following day.

AusNet is aware that Mr Azzopardi contacted authorities. AusNet has not been asked to provide a statement or be interviewed. If asked to do so, AusNet would of course cooperate fully. 

AusNet has reviewed all correspondence and the land access itself and believes its team acted appropriately under the circumstances.