Dora Houpis
Residents, businesses and sporting clubs say AusNet’s updated plan to deliver renewable energy to the west would see electricity transmission lines over MacPherson Park, including a tower on top of the pony club.
A group of residents protested the plans earlier this month.
Plumpton farmer and Stop AusNet’s Towers chair Barb Ford said residents were in favour of the Western Renewables Link project, but nobody wanted the power lines over the reserve.
“Everybody’s against it,” she said.
“We can’t understand when there’s technology for undergrounding…it should be underground.”
Ms Ford said AusNet’s updated plans released August 18 included electricity transmission lines over the current northern entrance near McCorkell’s Road, two 45-metre high towers side-by-side near the entrance boundary and one 80 to 85-metre tower “on top of the pony club rooms” on the opposite side near Bulmans Road.
She said each tower would be 500 kilovolts.
The 98-hectare MacPherson Park, in Coburns Road, Toolern Vale, recently underwent a $12.3 million redevelopment and is Melton’s principal recreational reserve.
It has picnic areas and sports fields and is home to more than 15 local sporting clubs and associations.
Ms Ford said the planned tower near the pony club would be dangerous for children as transmission tower noises could startle ponies and horses.
She said AusNet had not done proper research into the transmission lines’s location.
But gas and electricity distribution company AusNet has refuted the residents’ claims.
An AusNet Services spokesperson said MacPherson Park sporting grounds were not directly impacted by the updated plans and trees would partially screen views of the transmission line.
The spokesperson said the updated proposed route at Melton followed consultation with landholders, businesses, council, residents and local sporting groups.
The spokesperson said the updated route along the northern boundary of MacPherson Park was designed to minimise impacts to Melton Aerodrome and landholders – by following residential property boundaries and minimising impact to threatened plants.
A state government spokesperson said the Western Renewables Link was going through a full Environment Effects Statement(EES) process which was the most transparent and rigorous environmental and planning assessment framework available.
Ms Ford said her group would hold a community meeting soon. Details: www.stopausnetstowers.com.au.
