Report author for local forum

VICTORIA University professor

Bruce Mountain will speak at the Loddon’s first public forum on AEMO’s transmission line plans.

Professor Mountain has accepted the Loddon Herald’s invitation to speak at the May 5 forum in Wedderburn at 2pm that will also be live streamed.

He last week released a report claiming AEMO’s plan would be a monumental disaster for local communities.

“The Victorian Government has used its legislative powers to make the consultation report the last step in the regulatory approval process,” he said.

sonable cost to consumers”. Mallee MP Anne Webster said the project was raised during her mobile office visits in the region last week.

““What we are seeing is citybased federal and State Labor Governments pushing forward with an agenda, taking a politically expedient road with no care for how it impacts Mallee farmers and their communities.

“We need transparency from AEMO and from both levels of government about the true impact this infrastructure will have,” Dr Webster said.

“(People) are getting little clarity; I’m being told they are being fed high level jargon-heavy information so AEMO can tick a box and say they have consulted, which is a sham process – it’s a Clayton’s consultation.”

“AEMO’s WRL-VNI relies on a 13 year old blueprint for the development of a 500 kV supergrid NEMLink from Tasmania to Townsville. That blueprint has long since been superseded as a result of reductions in solar and wind generation costs.”:

AEMO, MPs and government ministers have also been invited to attend the Loddon Herald forum in Loddon Shire chambers.