Considerable Community Resistance
Towers a blight on ‘beautiful, unspoilt country’
New details of a contentious plan to build a network of powerlines across a 200-kilometre stretch of western Victoria have been released.
AusNet, which is building the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project to connect to renewable energy sources near Stawell with a power station at Sydenham, on Melbourne’s fringe, has released a map highlighting corridors where the powerlines may go.
The company’s executive project director Stephanie McGregor said the route between Ballarat and the windfarm only presented one option, but between Ballarat and Melbourne there were multiple routes under consideration.
Moorabool Shire mayor Tom Sullivan said the high voltage powerline project had the potential to negatively impact on the “very pretty, rolling, rural country” in the area between Melbourne and Ballarat.
“It’s beautiful, unspoilt country and to have these towers is certainly going to put a blight on the rural landscape,” he said.
“There’s consultation that just tells people what’s going to happen and there’s consultation that takes on board what people have to say.”
Image: Moorabool And Central Highlands Power Alliance
ABOUT US
Stop Labor’s Towers is demanding better consultation and a genuine process to consider alternatives.
The Regional Victoria Power Alliance comprises landowners, residents and community group concerned about the impacts of this project on our lives, land, environment, community and future generations.