The environmental effects statement (EES) for the Western Renewables Link (WRL) will be released to the public next week, with community stakeholders continuing to express opposition to the plan.
As reported by Star Weekly, AusNet is proposing to build a190-kilometre electricity transmission line that will carry renewable energy from Bulgana in western Victoria to Sydenham in Melbourne’s north-west.
During the exhibition period of the project’s EES and the draft planning scheme amendment – for a period of 40 business days from Monday, June 30 – community members and landholders will be invited to make a submission to the Department of Transport and Planning through the Engage Victoria submissions page.
People can also ask to be heard at the independent inquiry following the exhibition period.
Plumpton landholder and Western Victorian Community Alliance Melton representative Barbara Ford said “there’s still fairly united opposition up the whole line from Sydenham to Ballarat”.
“It’s five years since we would have got the first letters about this project, so from the stakeholders or landholders or other people affected, we don’t believe AusNet have mitigated a lot of the impacts which we all still believe are significant,” Ms Ford said.
She said the scale of the project “is the equivalent of building a 26-storey building” every 400 to 500 metres “from Sydenham right through to Ballarat”.
“As effects for our property … it’ll cut our farm in half diagonally and there will be an impact on our ability to farm the property,” she said.
Ms Ford said her concerns include impacts on visual amenity of Mount Kororoit – where she believes towers will stand up to 20 metres taller than the peak – environmental impacts to vegetation near Djerriwarrh Creek and its bird life, including the swift parrot, and impacts to local sporting and aviation facilities.
“The line from us … pretty much … goes in a straight line to Macpherson Park and the current proposal they have is to construct double rows of towers right beside the football and soccer amenities … the Melton Airfield is impacted,” Ms Ford said.
“If it was an underground proposal, the opposition would be negligent … just recently, there has been an underground proposal via the Calder Highway called the Syncline Community Cable,” she said.
“I’d encourage people to make a submission … and our group believe that there is a better alternative.”
An AusNet spokesperson said the organisation recognises that “hosting infrastructure of this scale can be challenging, and that it can have real impacts on landholders and communities,” and encourages community members to read the environmental effects statement and make submissions.
“As ageing coal-fired power stations are retired and become less reliable, the Western Renewables Link will play a critical role in securing Victoria’s energy future,” the spokesperson said.
Star Weekly understands the planning minister will appoint an inquiry and advisory committee to review public submissions, expected to take place in the fourth quarter of this year – and following this, a report will be presented to the minister.
