Benjamin Millar
Kelly Conroy has battled atrocious conditions to spearhead a monumental effort in the community campaign for high-voltage power lines planned to run through Moorabool to be buried underground.
Ms Conroy took off at 7am on Friday on a run to raise awareness of AusNet’s plan to install a series of 85-metre towers carrying high-voltage lines from beyond Ballarat through Moorabool and Melton and into Sydenham.
Her original plan was to run 160 kilometres to highlight just how far the wires will travel and how much of the landscape will be impacted.
Facing fierce winds throughout the day, she completed more than 100 kilometres before passing the baton to her support runners late on Friday night, with the team racking up more than 250 kilometres in total.
Her father Archie Conroy, who helped drive the campaign and co-ordinate the run from a support car, said the run capped off an amazing week.
“When we counted up the kilometres that were done supporting Kelly it is over 250 kilometres,” he said.
“All this was done in 18 hours, with the last two runners starting at 11pm in the rain and finishing at 1.30am.”
Mr Conroy thanked those who had assisted with the run and donated to the cause to bring awareness to the “poorly planned” project.
“Unbelievably we are currently at $18,000, wouldn’t it be good to reach $20,000?
“It all counts to bring awareness to the government that this project has to be rescoped to meet the requirements for the next 100 years.
“From all of us in Bunding we cannot thank everyone enough, and we will celebrate when we end this invasion of our communities.”
AusNet has said that the potential for running the line underground will be explored during the forthcoming Environmental Effects Statement period.
