The Victorian government has changed the preferred route and accelerated work on a plan to build more transmission lines for renewable energy projects, with new landholders set to be affected.
Key points:
- The Victorian government had issued a ministerial order to accelerate progress on VNI West transmission lines
- Transmission lines need to be built to connect new renewable energy projects to the electricity grid
- AEMO has revealed a new option as its preferred route
On Saturday, the government announced it had signed off on a preferred development plan for the controversial VNI West project.
That included plans to issue a ministerial order to progress the preferred route of the planned transmission lines.
The Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West, known as VNI West, is the government's plan to deliver 500 kilovolt overhead transmission lines from Bulgana, south-east of Stawell in Victoria, to just north of Jerilderie in NSW.
The project is part of the state government's push to reach its target of 95 per cent renewable energy by 2035. However, it has consistently drawn the ire of farmers and landowners, who have called for a senate inquiry into the program.
New powerline route unveiled
The state government's latest decision has come as a shock to the regional communities that have rallied against the plan and its expected impact on rural land.
This is because the preferred route is effectively brand new, with different landholders set to be affected.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), which is managing the project, said in a new project assessment conclusions report option 5A was its preferred route.
This option is a variant of the previously considered option five.
Option 5A will still see the powerlines travel from a substation at Dinawan, near Jerilderie in NSW, to Bulgana in Victoria but will cross the Murray River north of Kerang, instead of near Echuca.
Boort farmer Tyler Nelson's farm remains in the transmission firing line.
He said it seemed AEMO had listened to some submissions, but not others, and that new landholders would now be impacted.
"I'd assume that now that there's a new area, there might be some people that didn't have it in front of mind," he said.
"[They] didn't put a submission in or didn't consider this transmission line might be coming closer to them than they expected.
"So they haven't had much of a chance to put something in."
Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio said the new route would allow AEMO to deliver more energy and result in fewer environmental, farming, social and cultural impacts.
The project still requires relevant planning and environmental approvals, which will provide more opportunities for community members and traditional owners to have their say.
The state government said AEMO would continue consultation as it worked to refine the route.