Council last week expressed concern the proposed VNI West transmission line, a Transgrid project, would impact on one of the primary drivers of the local economy.
This follows wide-spread community concern for the current proposed pathway which would see a series of high voltage transmission lines traverse through valuable agricultural land near Moulamein.
Acting Mayor Frank Crawley said while council understands there is a desire for renewable energy initiatives, the infrastructure to support this needs to offer the “least amount of impact to the local area”.
“The infrastructure is proposed to be constructed on high value irrigated cropping land, which is one of our region’s largest economic drivers,” he said.
“We are concerned that this would threaten the use of this land by restricting agricultural activities around the proposed transmission infrastructure, drastically impacting the livelihood of our farmers.”
Cr Crawley said building energy connectors underground could potentially avoid impacts on farming.
“The cost-benefit analysis in the short-term may be quite different to long-term, but the economic and social outcomes for the community would be far more positive,” he said.
The VNI West line is proposed to run from a the Dinawan sub-station near Jerilderie to Kerang, going through Conargo, Wanganella and Moulamein.
Murray River Council is situated to the north of the renewable energy zone (REZ) in Victoria near Kerang, to the south of the REZ near Hay, and south west of Dinawan substation connection point.
The main Wagga Wagga to South Australia transmission line will also run “roughly parallel to Murray River Council in the north”, council says.
“Our residents are surrounded by renewable energy projects on all fronts, which means we are in line for the inevitable disruption brought about by the delivery of transmission infrastructure,” Cr Crawley said.
“It will not be a win:win for Murray River Council. We will, more accurately, be collateral damage.”
Council is calling on the state and federal governments to carefully consider the huge economic and personal impacts on potentially affected landholders.
“We’re not in denial that the line will cross Murray River Council somewhere, and therefore we don’t have a great deal of choice but to look at the ‘least worst’ option,” Cr Crawley said.
“To us, this is advocating for the lines to go underground.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by council CEO Terry Dodds to a parliamentary inquiry on the approach to NSW renewable energy projects in Deniliquin on August 16.
Mr Dodds was invited by the inquiry panel looking into the ‘feasibility of undergrounding the transmission infrastructure for renewable energy projects’ to give evidence.
While intended to look at an overall approach to renewable energy projects across the state of NSW, its timing coinciding with community consultation on the Transgrid project meant most of the evidence related to this project specifically.
“At a micro-economic level, an overhead line will be less expensive but will impact those affected forever,” Mr Dodds told the inquiry.
“At a macro-economic level, the project cost will balloon, and when energy prices are forced up, due to the amortisation of a greater spend to underground the lines, Australia faces risk to our standard of living on all fronts.”
“Whilst we will continue to raise valid concerns and considerations, council has very little influence over the project itself.
“Once Transgrid undertakes route refinement and narrows the corridor down to a final alignment, the consent will rest solely with the Minister for Planning, as this is classified as ‘state-significant development/infrastructure’.
“Despite the dire circumstances, council will continue to advocate on behalf of our communities to achieve the least worst solution.
“The least worst solution is the least number of people affected. If it goes up disused railway lines or if it goes through TSRs (travelling stock reserves), that’s another option. The exact route, I understand, hasn’t been narrowed down yet.”
Other speakers at the inquiry, in evidential hearings and in an open community forum, cited concerns with agricultural use restrictions and therefore job security, safety working under powerlines, devaluing of property values and impacts on the environment and wildlife, among other things.
The last of the VNI West project community information sessions will be held in Moulamein, Deniliquin and Wanganella this week, with submissions on the draft corridor report closing September 8.
Go to www.transgrid.com.au/projects-innovation/vni-west for more information, or to register for one of the meetings.
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