OCTOBER 6, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
Small steps forward
(Damjan Janevski) 217142_02
Paul and Sue Kelly took advantage of beautiful weather and eased coronavirus restrictions to sit back and enjoy a drink in Bacchus Marsh last week. There were plenty of people enjoying the chance to take in all that Bacchus Marsh has to offer. Photographer Damjan Janevski caught up with a few of them. ■ More pictures: Page 9
Report backs power fight By Ewen McRae A report by an independent consulant has supported Moorabool council’s call for high-voltage transmission lines associated with the proposed Western Victoria Transmission Network Project to be placed underground. Plans are under way for nearly 200 kilometres of overhead power lines to be installed through Moorabool and Melton to transfer power from wind farms in the state’s west to metropolitan Melbourne.
While project operator AusNet has said that overhead lines are the only option being considered, council and numerous locals have pushed for the lines to go underground to protect farmland and maintain the visual aesthetic of the region. Council engaged the consultant to conduct a comparative assessment of the impact of 500kV overhead transmission lines with 500kV underground transmission cables. The report, based on literature reviews and data modelling, found that the undergrounding
of powerlines is a viable alternative for the proposed project. Council chief executive Derek Madden said the report supports council’s campaign to put the transmission lines underground. “There is no reason these lines can’t be placed underground,” he said. “With this independent report to back us, we’ll continue to push for this to occur.” The report stated that even if not all of the route was able to go underground, the possibility of putting as much of it as possible
underground should be explored. “If it is not commercially viable to install the entire route underground, certain segments could be installed underground, although this would require an aboveground transition station at each end. To install a portion of the route underground is not a simple solution but it is a technically feasible option. “Another option is to install some or all of the new overhead line adjacent to the route of the existing overhead line easement (SydenhamMoorabool-Elaine-Ballarat).”
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