Federal politicians of both stripes have condemned the controversial Western Victoria Transmission Network Project, with Ballarat MP Catherine King and Senator Sarah Henderson stating the project in its current form should not go ahead.
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The project involves new high-voltage transmission lines from near Stawell to Melbourne's western edge, across valuable farmland.
It would connect new renewable energy generators to the state's grid, opening up more capacity as the state begins relying less on the Latrobe Valley for electricity.
READ MORE: Tourism group's fears over powerline project
The independent Australian Energy Market Operator concluded the project was needed in late 2018, and AusNet Services' commercial arm Mondo won the contract to build, operate, and maintain the new infrastructure.
However, since planned routes were announced through farming communities, anger has been building from landholders.
This week, ALP member Ms King spoke in parliament about the project, noting it had "united communities" like few other projects.
"From Darley and Myrniong through to potato country in Newlyn, Mount Prospect and surrounds, the community has come together to fight against the plan put forward by AEMO and being built by AusNet," she said in parliament.
"It is increasingly clear to all of us that the northern corridor proposed to build the transmission lines and the transfer station at Mount Prospect is not viable and it is time to go back to the drawing board."
Liberal Senator Henderson attacked the state Labor government for its "disastrous planning" of renewable energy projects, but echoed Ms King - the project "must be re-routed and re-designed".
"The proposed 85 metre high, 500 kilovolt, high voltage power line and the 40 to 100 metre easement required for its construction over some 190 kilometres (based on the current route) will severely impact on agriculture: farmers won't be able to use drones or helicopters for spraying, spray gun irrigation will be heavily limited and the productivity of farming land will fall dramatically," she said in a statement.
"I have met with local residents including farmers and landowners in Myrniong and Mt Prospect, and last month attended the Stop AusNet Rally in Waubra.
"Apart from threatening some of Victoria's best farmland and tourism ventures such as local wineries, the proposed route, which runs south of the Lerderderg State Park, also poses a fire risk given its proximity to areas of high bushfire risk."
The project's community consultation, while interrupted by the pandemic, has been heavily criticised - but while a narrowed corridor has been identified for further study, work on an Environmental Effects Statement, which will need to be signed off by the state government, is still ongoing.
Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Andrew Dyer said it could be expected people will be "fearful and resentful of the proposed intrusion" on their land.
"We haven't built these types of projects for 40 years, so there's not a lot of institutional memory about how you build them, working with the community and landholders," he said.
"The industry is having to rebuild those skills.
"You can't build a powerline without landholders or their land, and trying to bring landholders along positively and be part of the success, rather than them feeling like they're victimised, is important to get it right commercially and psychologically."
His office has been helping landholders with concerns, recently releasing a fact sheet on dealing with commercial agreements, but noted the investigation process is still going.
"What AusNet are trying to do at the moment, fulfilling a contractual obligation with AEMO, is focusing their investigation on the northern corridor, (but) there's no guarantee at this stage that will be a viable route along that corridor," he said.
"If landholders are open to the on-site investigations, it allows AusNet to do a proper evaluation, and they might discover an issue there that is fatal to the preferred route.
"I think there's a middle ground here - we have to allow AusNet to investigate the route options as requested by AEMO properly, and there is always a possibility they can't make this route work, and then it'd be pointless putting it through the EES process and spending a year to get a nil result.
"It's prudent to develop up some B and C options at a very high level, in the event AusNet conclude they cannot implement the current project design."
An AEMO spokesperson said in a statement "(t)he project will help to protect all Victorian consumers from paying more than necessary for their electricity".
"AEMO ran a multi-year, regulated consultation process open to all stakeholders, which identified the least-cost, least-risk investment option," they said.
"AEMO believes a sensitively designed project can address many of the concerns being raised."
In a statement, AusNet project director Stephanie McGregor reiterated the EES process is ongoing.
"This project is the result of around five years of extensive planning and investigations, which are continuing as we prepare the Environment Effects Statement - the most rigorous environmental impact assessment process in Victoria," she said.
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"Experts are continuing to undertake further detailed research into a range of factors including visual impacts, full or partial undergrounding and land use through the EES process. Engaging with the community is also an ongoing priority for us.
"Our investigations along the proposed corridor found it would not be feasible to use existing easements, such as along the Western Highway."
The state government was sent detailed questions but no response was received by deadline.
READ FULL RESPONSES FROM AEMO AND AUSNET BELOW
The following is attributable to an AEMO spokesperson:
- The project will help to protect all Victorian consumers from paying more than necessary for their electricity.
- Investment to remove network congestion and increase renewable generation capacity from the region will benefit all Victorians.
- AEMO ran a multi-year, regulated consultation process open to all stakeholders, which identified the least-cost, least-risk investment option.
- AEMO believes a sensitively designed project can address many of the concerns being raised.
- Stakeholders and local community members are encouraged to provide their inputs as part of AusNet Services' ongoing Environment Effects Statement process
Quotes attributable to Stephanie McGregor, Executive Project Director, Western Victoria Transmission Network Project
"This project is the result of around five years of extensive planning and investigations, which are continuing as we prepare the Environment Effects Statement - the most rigorous environmental impact assessment process in Victoria.
"Experts are continuing to undertake further detailed research into a range of factors including visual impacts, full or partial undergrounding and land use through the EES process. Engaging with the community is also an ongoing priority for us.
"Our investigations along the proposed corridor found it would not be feasible to use existing easements, such as along the Western Highway."
Background
The existing transmission network in western Victoria is at capacity. The proposed transmission line will unlock western Victoria's potential to become the state's renewable energy powerhouse by allowing new projects, like wind and solar, to begin powering communities.
Planning, design and approvals for this project will continue until approximately mid-2023.
We have investigated whether easements such as the existing Western Highway corridor would be feasible for either an underground or overhead transmission line as part of the project. These investigations found that it would not be feasible for several reasons.
These include limited space for constructing and maintaining the underground or overhead transmission line. Only 10 to 20 m is available in sections of the highway reserve, less than the 30 to 35 m typically required to lay underground cables and the 40 m (220 kV) or up to 100 m (500 kV) easement required for constructing and protecting overhead transmission lines. The available space is, in some sections, further limited by proposals for additional lanes.
As part of the Environment Effects Statement for this project, Ausnet Services is investigating the option to increase the voltage of the 220kV section between Bulgana and Waubra to 500kV.
If this option is progressed, it can be accommodated within the current single corridor and addressed through the current EES.
But until a decision is made on the 500kV uprate option we continue to progress the current 500kV/220kV project configuration.
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