Sarah Oliver
AusNet has announced a specific route has been narrowed down for the controversial Western Victoria Transmission Network Project (WVTNP), proposing for overhead lines to run between Sydenham and Bulgana.
The company also released preliminary findings of its investigation into undergrounding the transmission line, including full and partial undergrounding, which is an option locals and councils have been lobbying for.
The investigation found undergrounding the transmission line would cost 16 times more than an overhead line and require significant soil and vegetation removal and disturbance of Aboriginal cultural heritage.
AusNet said this would limit opportunities for future renewable development and would not meet the technical availability and reliability requirements of the electricity system.
As a result, overhead construction has been recommended by the investigation.
However, AusNet are continuing investigations into undergrounding for some sections of the network as well as landscape assessments currently underway as part of the Environment Effects Statement (EES).
Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said: “Today will be a difficult day for farmers along the identified route of this project.
“The VFF encourages any of its members impacted to get in touch with the VFF for support.
“We continue to be concerned about plans for a substation in the middle of prime agricultural land and the potential for the substation to attract future transmission infrastructure to the local area.”
Melton business owner Grant Harrison said he is disappointed that AusNet is still considering overhead lines.
“I can imagine the landholders whose confirmed transmission lines will run through their property will be devastated. My heart goes out to those landowners,” he said.
“It’s very unfair…they’ve chosen the shortest, quickest, easiest route without any regard for landowners.”
Mr Harrison said he would like to see an independent body not associated with AusNet to re-investigate the options.
In a statement, AusNet said its knows “this is an important issue and wanted to share these preliminary findings now with landholders and the community”.
Executive project director Stephanie McGregor said the network had been designed to run along existing transmission line easements and at a maximum distance from houses as much as possible, and to minimise impacts.
“Sharing the proposed route now will ensure much-needed clarity for around 220 of the 460 landholders that were within the single corridor. They now have the confirmation that their property is not on the proposed route,” she said.
AusNet said its land liaison officers will be contacting each landholder within the proposed route to discuss their specific land use and requirements, the proposed route, easements and compensation.
Webinars will also be held on November 30 and on December 2.
Face-to-face community information sessions will then be held at Waubra, Miners Rest, Darley, Melton and Ballarat, on December 6 to 12.
