Page 4 The Moorabool News – 8 March, 2022
News
Email - news@themooraboolnews.com.au
Environmental piracy continued from page 1 The purpose of the meetings was to inform the community about the campaign, the legal challenge, the EES process, land access, options and rights. Myrniong landowner Emma Muir said they all fully support an urgent transition to renewable energy in a way that achieves the end goals. “AEMO and AusNet’s current plans go directly against this. We all expect better,” she said. “We are asking that the project needs to go back to AEMO, so one of the more environmentally, agriculturally, socially and economically responsible alternatives can be chosen. “If it can’t be overhead, it must go underground,” she said. Ms Muir said they must stay together as a community. “We have a much better chance of being heard. “There are two elections this year, don’t give up,” she said. The group acknowledge climate change and the need for sustainable renewable energy however, “we should not pay the price so the people of Melbourne benefit”. “This will result in mass devastation to our communities. The solution chosen, the cheapest solution, is the worst solution. There are other solutions,” she said. Gavin Ronan is the Chair of the legal working group and told the meetings the Planning Minister Richard Wynne could also “kill the project”. “We have to push him to introduce changes to the setbacks provisions. He has the power to approve or kill the project,” he said. “There is another ten of these projects for Victoria following on from this one. The reason the easement is set to be 100 metres wide is not just for one tower as scheduled but, most likely to place many towers into the future.” AusNet was the successful tenderer to deliver the infrastructure; a 190km high-voltage transmission line connecting Bulgana, near Ararat, to Sydenham, in Melbourne’s west. Over 60 kilometres of the proposed route will cut a path directly through the Moorabool Shire, with 380 towers, as tall as the MCG light towers.
Emma Muir and Steve Harper spoke to the community at three of the meetings in Moorabool. Photos – Helen Tatchell To begin the project, AusNet will need to compulsory acquire land from generational farming families. Some of the proposed route will navigate not only across the most productive soil in the country, but through state owned forests and water catchments. Mr Ronan said the Environmental Effects Statement (EES) process is currently underway and submissions are still being sought. “The State Government must approve the project before work can start. “The EES gives planning approval, however, really it’s a done deal, although a change of government could lead to
this being killed,” he said. Stephen Curry asked the crowd “who’s hearing this outside the region”? “Opposition leader Matthew Guy needs to make this a top election issue.” Notable attendees at the Ballan and Wallace meetings included, Moorabool Crs Tom Sullivan, Tonia Dudzik, Ally Munari and Paul Tatchell, Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle, and the Member for Western Victoria Bev Mc Arthur. Today (March 8), the group will travel to the steps of Parliament House in Spring Street Melbourne and protest the high voltage overhead transmission lines project.
Quarry approved By Lachlan Ellis A controversial application for a Coimadai sand quarry has been approved by Council after an 80-minute discussion, after amendments were made to put further conditions on the applicant. Concrete producer Hanson Australia had its application considered at Council’s 3 March Ordinary Meeting, with eight objectors addressing concerns about dust, noise, and safety. The application also received 67 objections. Given the roads to be used by the quarry, including Seereys and Gisborne Roads, are owned by VicRoads, Council’s recommendations will come before VCAT, which must then approve the quarry’s construction. The applicant has lodged an appeal to VCAT for failure to determine the application within the prescribed time. The application also includes a requirement to complete a right turn lane and left turn lane, and upgrade the access at Gisborne Road, “to the satisfaction of and at no cost to VicRoads”, as well as a truck wheel-wash. In a written submission, Coimadai resident James Ross argued that Council’s recommendations don’t go far enough, and drivers would be put at risk by the plans. “I raise safety concerns for all road users and our community. Thank you for the recommendations you have already added to the permit. I believe the recommendations do not go far enough to address the impacts this permit will create,” Mr Ross said. “The road size, escarpments, and intersection create a hazard and poor visibility for road users. The increase of heavy vehicles travelling south along Gisborne Road will hinder school traffic entering Bennetts Lane, and subsequently will cause a backup of northbound traffic.”
Mr Ross said in 2019, VicRoads representatives attended the area after concerns were raised by Coimadai Primary School representatives. “VicRoads’ response was that they were appalled and concerned about a hazardous intersection, however, to date nothing has been done.” Another objector, Troy Strang, raised concerns there could be a fatality on the roads. “I’ve had a number of near misses on Gisborne Road, including one with my daughter in the car where I had to leave the road to avoid a head-on collision,” he told the Council meeting. “We spend probably billions preventing road trauma. Why not ask the applicant to contribute to the road? I’ve been involved in a fatality, and believe me, people don’t get over it. I don’t want to see another family go through what we’ve gone through. If this permit goes through without upgrading that road, people will die.” Cr Ally Munari suggested further amendments to the application, namely that fencing on the site be “industrial standard height”, and that 250 metre buffer zones be subject to an integrity report of the site’s ridge. Cr Munari’s amended motion was seconded by Cr Paul Tatchell, and passed without opposition. According to the application document, VCAT have provided hearing dates for a compulsory conference to be held on 16 March 2022, and allocated 7 days for a Merits Hearing in June 2022. Council will provide the community’s written submissions as part of its submissions to VCAT regarding the quarry. The OMC was scheduled for Wednesday 2 March however, internet issues postponed the meeting until the next day Thursday 3 March.