VICTORIA - HOTEL - Questions without answers

By CHRIS EARL

LANDOWNERS from across the Loddon and Northern Grampians were left frustrated when key questions on the proposed high-voltage transmission line through the region could not be answered in St Arnaud on Tuesday night.

More than 160 people, many from Loddon communities, packed into St Arnaud Town Hall for the forum organised by Northern Grampians Shire and Victorian Farmers’ Federation.

Speakers critical of the consultation process received loud applause throughout the forum that saw two Australian Energy Market Operator representatives seated in the audience but not on the platform with VicGrid and VFF speakers.

One was general manager Victoria planning Nicola Falcon who later told the Loddon Herald that an indicative route could be expected by spring.

She also said the indicative height of transmission line towers along the new preferred route could be 80 metres and the possible distance between towers 400 metres.

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VicGrid chief executive officer Alistair Parker told farmers: “There are some questions I can’t answer ... it’s a work in progress.” But the chief of the State Government body managing development of the Victoria’s six renewable energy zones said communities would be engaged much earlier in future stages.

Farmers at the meeting consistently called for more detail on the route and its impacts on agricultural production, land access and owner rights.

Government and project officials at the meeting told farmer Barry Batters the transmission line project - now with a preferred would through St Arnaud and across the Loddon Shire to Echuca - would cost $3.3 billion to build.

Mr Batters said that the compensation offer to farmers with land on the 220km route would total just $48 million over 25 years.

“You are selling us short. Will you tell the minister about our serious concerns?” Mr Parker said he would.

Ferrnihurst’s Ken Pattison said the consultation process was a “charade and an insult to the community”. He said: “The minister took away our rights (as landowners) two days before this was announced.

“It’s policy on the run after they were booted out of the Ballarat-Bendigo corridor.”

Ian Gould told the forum: “You are not answering the questions people are asking tonight.”

VFF policy and advocacy general manager Charles Everist said the Government needed to understand the project could have a multi-generational impact on farms that as a business operated on an extended timeframe compared with non-agricultural businesses.