OPPONENTS of the north-south pipeline have been booted out of a major irrigator group.
Irrigators who oppose the pipeline had either their membership applications and payments rejected or failed to receive renewal notices for the Northern Victorian Irrigators.
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Wade Northause told The Weekly Times this week he personally handed his membership money to NVI secretary Garry Duke last month but the money was returned.
Mr Northausen said Lyn Hughes from Waaia and Frances Corry from Barmah also had their membership renewals rejected.
A letter to Ms Hughes, seen by The Weekly Times, said the committee had "unanimously decided that we could not accept your application for membership".
Mr Northausen said he was told his membership renewal was rejected because he was bringing the NVI into disrepute.
He said Peter Costello, Martin Van der Sluys, Neil Pankhurst, Ms Hughes, Murray Haw and he ran as a group to be on the NVI executive earlier this year.
"It's very important to have a legitimate organisation that is the voice of irrigators," Mr Northausen said.
"That's why a group of us stood for the executive."
Tongala dairy farmer Peter Costello said he had not received his membership renewal notice, despite holding the position of joint deputy chair before the last annual general meeting.
"I've been a member for years and every year I've got my renewal notice," he said.
NVI president Dudley Bryant said the membership renewals were rejected because those concerned had been very public in their criticism of the organisation and its executive.
"We could not see why we should accept the membership of people who are bringing the NVI into disrepute," he said.
"These people will do anything to bring the NVI down."
