Farmers question missing detail after option release

POTENTIAL modifications could increase future capacity of AEMO’s preferred option five.

The statement from AEMO last week came as it said the alternative location for the terminal station connecting VNI West and WRL was raised during previous stakeholder feedback in December.

That feedback, including 26 submissions, saw AEMO announce a new preferred route from Bulgana, near Ararat, to St Arnaud and through the Loddon Shire to Echuca a fortnight ago.

An impromptu meeting of farmers at Woosang last Friday called for more detail and an increase on a six-week of consultation. Ian Gould was critical of the State Government farmer compensation offer of $8000 for every kilometre transmission lines went over their property.

“The compensation is only for 25 years ... the project is for 40. Any compensation should be for the life of the project and indexed,” he said. “We need to know the facts and not be bullied.”

Mal Burge and Tony Holt questioned the value of the Government’s compensation package if a property was split in two and the impact on resale and lease values.

Andrew Lockhart said: “There will be a loss of productivity of land that is ongoing. In 40 years the (government) compensation payment wouldn’t even buy two pots and a pie.”

Wedderburn VFF branch president Graham Nesbit said lack of consultation and detail were the biggest problems for farmers. Mr Burge told the meeting: “Consultation needs to be six months. Six weeks is too short of time for something as major as this.”

And farmers in the Woosang fire shed last week questioned why the latest AEMO report did not include an option for running transmission lines underground. Mr Nesbit said underground lines would more than double the project’s life to 100 years.

Evan Ferguson said AEMO should meet with local farmers.

“We want to hear from AEMO themselves and the minister too,” he said. “(All the questions) keep coming back to a lack of information.”

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VFF president Emma Germano has said despite the Government’s offer of landholder payments for impacted landholders, farmers deserved the right to a fair compensation process and the ability to have access to any documents that determine the transmission process as well as avenues to appeal transmission lines on their private property.

“We’re demanding the Victorian Government urgently clarify on what grounds farmers can appeal, how they can gain access to the materials needed to appeal and who they will appeal to. Reg ulatory oversight must be inde pendent and transparent.

“The future of farmers and communities along the hundreds of kilometres of new powerlines is incredibly unclear. We need to know whether the Government has decided to steamroll through these projects.”

Assessment of feedback before early April will be by AEMO Victorian Planning and Transgrid.

A spokesman said on Monday: “We’re still consulting and will provide a recommendation in the project assessment conclusion reports in May. If the project proceeds to development, additional consultation (such as an environment effect statement) on the proposed route will be undertaken with the local community.”

‘Give community a benefit’

REG Holt and Ken Pattison want a financial windfall for Loddon if the proposed transmission line runs through the shire.

The pair last week were quick out with their call for AEMO and Transgrid to commit to a community benefit.

“What could we do if there was a community benefit contribution? There could be big investment in roads and infrastructure,” said Mr Pattison who farms at Fernihurst.

“We need a community benefit for altering our vista forever. We can get a lift out of this (project).

“We know they (the Government) are fast-tracking this ... we could be looking at hundreds of turbines feeding into the grid if this is managed properly. We need to have community benefit and farm owner benefit.”

Mr Holt, of Wedderburn, joined with Mr Pattison in calling for benefits for communities.

But he also had questions of AEMO on the proposed line’s future capacity and distance between towers. Mr Holt and Mr Pattison said they would plot a possible route on AEMO documents that only indicate identified land of interest.

Mr Holt said a wind measuring station on his property showed wind speed at 8.4 metres a second - the ideal speed - for turbines that could feed the grid.

Wedderburn residents who evacuated during the October oods were recently invited to a site visit to learn about structural improvements made to the Skinners Flat dam wall.

A community recovery bus tour included a walk around the dam wall where Council o cers were on hand to provide detail on the works, and nished with a barbecue lunch at Soldiers’ Memorial Park.

Thank you to everyone who came out for the tour, Council hopes it provided you with a great understanding of the dam and improvement works.