Access authority application made, says AEMO

TRANSMISSION Company Victoria says it will use a land access licence “in exceptional circumstances where we may need it”.

The company’s Nicola Falcon said in Boort on Monday night that TCV had applied for a licence but it had yet to be granted.

Ms Falcon said TCV would persevere with landholder negotiations for access to land on the Option 5A route.

“We want to work with people, with landholders, to co-exist,” Ms Falcon said.

Ms Falcon said exceptional circumstances could be where 99 landholders had granted access and one had not.

According to Victorian Power Alliance’s

Vicki Johnson: “At the present time the Transmission Company Victoria does not have any authority to enter your land without your consent.”

The alliance is campaigning against both VNI West and Western Renewables Link.

“TCV does not have a license from the Essential Services Commission. As a result, it is not authorised under the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic),” Ms Johnson said.

“So, TCV cannot currently exercise land access powers under section 93 of that Act and if they say they can, during any of these information sessions or face-toface, then that is incorrect.

“Plus, if you don’t sign the $10,000 access agreement you can keep TCV off your land for the foreseeable future.

“The ESC has a comprehensive process for assessing license applications, but they have not yet received a complete application from TCV.

“A complete application must provide an answer to every relevant question in the appropriate form and be accompanied by every document that the ESC requires.

“Once the ESC receives a complete application, there is a comprehensive process for assessing it that includes a period of public consultation. The assessment period takes at least two and a half months but can also take much longer.”

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MANY landholders leaving Monday’s first community engagement session in Boort were disgruntled with the format and unconvinced their concerns were heard.

“They are not interested in what we do ... they’ve already made up their minds,” said Lake Marmal farmer Geoff McClelland.

“They told us very little and the compensation they are offering wouldn’t even buy a tractor wheel.

“They tell us we can continue our farming but then there are limits of aerial spraying, burning ... what we can do daily on most agricultural properties.”

Russell Amery said the compensation package was not ongoing and paled when put beside the pay rises for public servants.

“They just don’t understand where food comes from,” he said.

Leigh Parry said the proposed route was through some of the region’s most intensive farming areas.

He and wife Helen were critical of the timing of consultation, coming when “it’s been more important to get crops in”. Al Knight described Monday’s session as a tick-a-box event that didn’t pass the pub test.

“We have had fires and flood and now this, it’s a dagger in the heart,” he said.

Robert Coutts said: “They spent 10 minutes trying to reassure me that everything will be okay. Guess it’s watch this space.”

Some farmers in the Boort district first saw their land in the preferred route when Option 5A was released in May, extending the area both north and south of town.

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