Tr a n s m i s s i o n l i n e e a s e m e n t s m ay b e c o m e a n issue for f ire f ighting

ALTHOUGH we are in June and the weather is wet, wet, wet, some are looking towards summer and the threat that the proposed VNI West transmission lines will pose to this district and St Arnaud in par ticular

Option 5A of the proposal puts the powerlines close to the northern end of the town and although some distance the easement required for the powerlines may pose a major threat for firefighting

Although it is unclear what that distance will be it is conceivable that firefighting both in the air and on the ground will be banned for a distance of 200metres around the powerline

Colin Coates the President of the St Arnaud branch of the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says that no firef i g h t i n g w i l l b e a l l o w e d t o b e undertaken both within the easement and for a distance either side setting up an issue for the northern side of St Arnaud