Online information sessions on the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project will begin on Saturday morning.
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Six question and answer sessions will be held on Saturday from 10am, and again from 6pm to 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday. They will be repeated next Saturday, July 11, Tuesday, July 14, and Thursday, July 16.
The sessions will be livestreamed, with an opportunity to meet the project team and ask questions about the project.
VIEW AN APPROXIMATE MAP OF THE AREA OF INTEREST BELOW
The link to the sessions will go live shortly before they are scheduled to begin on the project's website, www.westvictnp.com.au - users will not have to sign up or log in to join in.
Questions can also be emailed via info@westvictnp.com.au or community members can phone 9021 0674 if they are unable to attend a session.
In a media statement, project proponent AusNet Services encouraged landholders and community members to have their say.
"We'd hoped to hold our community information sessions in person, however the health and safety of the community and our team is our topmost priority and we must follow all government directions regarding COVID-19," the release states.
The company reiterated a path for the 500 kilovolt powerlines, between Sydnenham and a new terminal station in Ballarat, and 220kv lines between the terminal station and Bulgana north of Ararat, has not yet been determined.
There was community outcry when the project began its consultation process, with landowners saying they held concerns about the powerline's effects their properties - farmers from across Moorabool Shire met recently to discuss how to respond.
AusNet Services said about 800 responses had been received on its interactive map for the planned corridor, and "this information along with environmental investigations and technical design is critical in informing our project decision-making", according to the media statement.
The powerline project will connect new electricity generators in the state's west to the grid, providing more capacity on the network.
It's understood the project, which began preliminary work in 2018, will begin construction in 2022, and be completed by 2025.
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