Residents near Shepparton are concerned that farmland the Victorian Government has invested in under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan will be lost to agriculture as the state undergoes a solar farm boom.

Four applications for solar farms in the Greater Shepparton region that could produce up to 243 megawatts of electricity have been proposed for Tatura, Tallygaroopna, Lemnos and Congupna, and have been 'called in' by the Victorian planning minister.

The projects, worth a total of nearly $300 million, are now being investigated by a planning panel with a view that there decision will form the basis for new planning policy in the state.

Critics say there has been no thought put to where the solar farms are being placed and how much prime agricultural land is being lost, and while there is suitable, more arid land available close by.

Natalie Akers objects to a solar farm being built on upgraded prime irrigation land. ( ABC Rural: Warwick Long )

At least two of the solar farms have recently been the subject of a massive investment under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

Tens of thousands of dollars were invested to install new irrigation gates — which can cost an estimated $50,000 to install — and century-old irrigation channels were upgraded to bring the farms into the 21st century.

Tallygaroopna diary farmer Natalie Akers lives close to one of the proposed developments and said she believed it was a waste of taxpayers' money for the landowners to get grants to get irrigation upgrades, and then further Government grants to become solar farms.

"We have the state and federal governments spending $2 billion up here to upgrade our irrigation infrastructure and set up our agriculture for the next 50 to 100 years. I don't want to see solar panels being put on the irrigation backbone that's setting up our future," Mrs Akers said.

ABC Rural has spoken to the farmer whose land will become the solar farm in Tallygaroopna and he does not wish to comment.

Perfect place for solar

Shepparton is seen as an ideal place for solar farms.

"Shepparton used to be called the solar city, so we have lots of sunlight here," said Geraldine Christou, director for sustainable development at the City of Greater Shepparton.

Powerlines run along the roadside of a proposed solar farm development at Tallygaroopna. ( ABC Rural: Warwick Long )

"We have flat land for solar panels, also investment needs to be close to transmission lines, which we are. So Shepparton is very well placed."

However, there are no clear planning guidelines for solar projects in Victoria and the local government wants the minister to intervene.

An initial report by City of Greater Shepparton staff recommended that the developments be given approval at a council meeting.

But the council called on the State Government to weigh in.

The minister agreed, and appointed a planning panel to look into solar planning laws for these four developments.

"Renewable energy creates jobs, drives down power prices and boosts regional communities, but that doesn't mean they deserve a rubber stamp," planning minister Richard Wynne said.



Losing more land

At Lemnos, a small community just minutes from Shepparton, a large group of residents have banded together to fight the proposed solar farm development in their community.

It is rare to get orchardists, dairy farmers, livestock producers, retirees and residents to agree on anything in a small farming community, but this group does not want a 100Mw, $175 million solar farm built on prime agricultural farm land.

They have argued it should be built on more arid land that has not been upgraded under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

"To see that this land, this prime farmland, won't be used for future generations is very, very sad for local people," Lemnos resident Lynn Cobbledick said.

Farmers and residents that border a proposed solar farm development near Lemnos. ( ABC Rural: Warwick Long )

Orchardist Jim Mehmet's property will border the solar farm. He worries that he will lose areas for his fruit growing business to expand because of the demand for the right soils and irrigation equipment needed to grow his fruit.

"We've got third and fourth generations that wish to stay growing fruit but the land is getting harder and harder to obtain," he said.

Bernie McGill's dairy farm will have a one kilometre boundary with the new solar farm and has concerns about the proposal's flood plan the likelihood of hot winds blowing heat from the panel onto his farm and crops.

"They've advocated that they will work with the community but up until now they haven't been," he said frustrated that the only dealing he has had with developer, Neoen Energy is through their lawyers.

Finding a better way

All objectors believe there is a clear need for improved guidelines.

Former Murray Goulburn board member and farmer, Natalie Akers believes she has researched a solution that the government should act on.

"In the United Kingdom, they grade land one to five. One being the most productive and five being the least productive," Ms Akers said.

"Any (prime) land that falls into a one or two category is not allowed to have a solar farm development built on it at all.

"Yes, we can have both. We can maintain irrigated agriculture and maintain the irrigation backbone. Let's put solar farms on the less productive areas of land."

The planning panel that will hold public hearings in Shepparton from May 14-18.