Community “The landscape value will potentially be halved,” says Tom Lawson. “Potentially we won’t be able to irrigate so our productivity will be back 20 or 30 per cent. I think a lot of farmers aren’t even thinking about compensation yet. Everyone’s just so devastated.” Aside from livelihood and visual impacts, ecology is firmly on Tom’s mind too. He is not alone, with the Save Wattle Flat Group springing to life to defend flora and fauna around Creswick Forest. “This is one of the most unique landscapes in Australia: we’ve got lots of predatory birds, owls and scrub wrens,” says Tom. “I’ve already found dead kites in existing smaller power lines so it’s hard to imagine the impact of 500kVA lines” The precise impact on farming practices will depend on the route and method, but the VFF is concerned that often the presence of power infrastructure can impact on farm operations, including the potential restriction on the type of machinery used according to Lisa Gervasoni, VFF’s Senior Land Management and Planning Adviser. Grazing, potentially, will be less impacted, however weed control and other access issues will raise declaration issues for farmers. In the meantime, the information void is “stopping 2,000 square kilometres of people from being able to do anything because none of us know where to turn next,” says Vicki Johnson. The area of interest was determined by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), which undertook a Regulatory Investment Test for Transmission (RIT-T) in 2017 “to identify the most economical way of addressing limitations in the western Victoria transmission network”. Basically, this was a cost-benefit analysis outlaying the project’s benefit to the market and its operators. Some question why the contract was awarded to a specialist overhead-powerline builder before environmental and community consultations were complete, essentially stifling discussions on ‘new-technology’ alternatives such as ‘undergrounding’ cables. For its part, AusNet clearly states that undergrounding “would likely result in greater environmental, social and economic impact”. The project is an inevitable consequence of a renewable energy policy which saw wind farms completed without adequate infrastructure to move their power onto the grid. “Surely, they would have thought of the fact they’ve built all these wind farms that are only using a small percentage of the power generated?” asks Tom Lawson. “Also, if there is a bigger plan, and they’re going to run more wind farms off this route, just be honest and say that.” Crucially, Victoria’s Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne, finally announced in August that the project must undergo an Environment Effects Statement (EES) before a route can be established.
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VICTORIAN FARMER
SPRING 2020
Above: Tom and Olivia on their property, which has ecological value. "We've got lots of predatory birds, owls and scrub wrens," he says. "I've already found dead kites in existing smaller power lines so it's hard to imagine the impact of 500kVA lines." Right, and opposite page: Signs on Tom and Olivia's 140-acre farm opposing the proposed powerlines.