Don’t ask us, says TCV on its house demolition claim Kerang area to get first calls

TRANSMISSION Company Victoria will first contact landowners in the VNI West northern corridor as the route is refined to 1km wide.

A project update last week said TCV had determined a preferred corridor north of Kerang and in nearby surrounding areas.

“Work continues in the central and southern section to identify the best location for a preferred corridor,” TCV said.

“TCV will begin landholder engagement in the north, around Kerang and nearby surrounding areas from early August.

“Engagement with landholders in the central and southern areas is planned to start from late August once a corridor has been identified.”

A spokesperson said on Monday that the Boort district was not in the northern section.

“To protect the privacy of individual landholders, we have not made public any details of our contact plans.

“Landholder contact details have been sourced from public records, such as land titles and community phone books, and where we have identified a contact number, the initial contact will be by phone.

“We will make every endeavour to contact landholders, including via multiple attempts at direct calls, email and via post.

“TCV will mail a letter of introduction to those we have not been able to be reach directly. It is our intention to speak to as many landholders as possible before any information about the preferred corridor is released publicly.

“We expect that discussions with Landholders, including access for field surveys, land use and compensation, will take place over many months.”

CLAIMS by Transmission Company Victoria that houses would be demolished around Bendigo and Ballarat under the Plan B alternative to VNI West were based on its observations.

TCV was unable to quantify the demolition scenario after its quick response to last Wednesday’s release of Plan B by Professor Bruce Mountain, Simon Bartlett and Darren Edwards at the Victorian Energy Policy Centre.

The Plan B report advocates ditching VNI West and Western Renewables Link, instead upgrading and extending lines on existing easements and saving an estimated $5 billion in energy transmission transition projects.

TCV said: “The statement that the implementation of Plan B would likely require the demolition of homes is based on the observation of the proximity of existing transmission to homes on the outskirts of Ballarat and Bendigo.

“VEPC and Darren Edwards are better positioned to comment further in regards to their assessments re the assessed impacts of Plan B,” the spokesperson said.

AEMO attended the launch of Plan B. The spokeperson said AEMO “offered to provide a response but was not called upon”.

Professor Mountain has since said: “We are aware of 14 homes in the outer Ballarat suburb of Mount Helen that have been built within five metres of the southern side of the easement for a distance of 400 metres with the closest house 10 metres from the existing Wemen to Ballarat line. There is sufficient room on the northern side of the easement to widen the easement on that side”.

“Our report provides the detail to support our conclusions that Plan B would have significantly lower impact on landholders, regional and rural communities and the renewable generation investment required to give consumers reliable and affordable power supply than VNI-West.”

Real green means towing colour line

A GREEN generation solution requires a green transmission solution, according to the organiser of next Tuesday’s protest on the steps of State Parliament.

Yeungroon’s Glenden Watts is expecting dozens of Loddon landholders to be part of the Stop the Towers Spring Street Tractor Rally.

Regional Victoria Power Alliance is drawing support for the protest from across northern and central Victoria.

“Of course the Alliance supports renewable energy, supports action on climate change and supports protecting the environment. But we want the transition away from fossil fuels to use environmentally sustainable energy solutions,” he said.

“A green generation solution requires a

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All Day Pizza Menu Close 11.00pm green transmission solution. Constructing more overhead electricity transmission lines using century old technology is not in Australia’s strategic national interest, nor cost-effective given its irreversible environmental, social, and economic impact.

“We want our politicians to see and hear us, we want the people of Melbourne to see and hear us. Landowners and communities throughout regional and rural Victoria should not be expected to bear the burden of these enormous transmission line projects – they should be a central part of the conversation to help devise better solutions that suit different situations.”

The alliance wanted the Government to look at more environmentally sustainable energy solutions, he said.

Farmers’ petition wants immediate halt to projects

VICTORIAN Farmers’ Federation has launched a petition calling for the VNI West and Western Renewables Link projects to be scrapped.

“We’re hoping to deliver a message to government from hundreds of people that these projects must be stopped and re-assessed, before it’s too late,” said president Emma Germano.

“It’s clear the Victorian Government has failed to adequately plan for the transition to renewable energy and this will have big impacts on food and fibre production and regional communities.

“What’s worse is the appalling treatment of farmers and regional communities and the failed consultative approach undertaken by energy authorities and the government.”

Ms Germano said action needed to be taken by the State Government to properly plan for the renewable energy transition.

“As the VFF has repeatedly said, a statewide plan for transmission infrastructure that protects agricultural production and the rights of landowners must be developed.

“We want to see the planning powers of the Australian Energy Market Operator rescinded and for the government take full responsibility for planning of transmission infrastructure.”

The VFF wanted “political leaders to take notice of decisions that are impacting Victorian farmers and their communities”, Ms Germano said.

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