Find out what's happening

Resources and latest updates on the Western Renewables Link (WRL) Inquiry and Advisory Committee (IAC) Hearing are published here to assist the Moorabool Shire community.

Hearing audio recordings

Council is providing timestamps for the daily Hearing audio recordings to help participants and observers navigate straight to the speakers they are interested in. They can be found by week in the drop-down options below.

Full audio recordings can be accessed via the Engage Victoria website and will be removed when the WRL Inquiry and Advisory Committee (IAC) has submitted its report to the Minister for Planning. Directions 50-51 of the IAC provide for the use of the recordings can be found on the Engage Victoria website.

Disclaimer:

Timestamps and references contained in this webpage have been prepared to assist with navigation of the lengthy Hearing audio recordings. They are provided for convenience only and may not precisely align with the actual timing or sequence of statements in the recording. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, Council does not guarantee that all timestamps are complete or free from error. The official record of Hearing events remains the original audio file.

Week 1

Day 1 Monday 27 October 2025 WRL EES Hearing Timestamp.docx(DOCX, 25KB)

Tuesday 28 October 2025 - site visits, no hearing

Wednesday 29 October 2025 - site visits, no hearing

Day 2 Thursday 30 October 2025 WRL EES Hearing Timestamp.docx(DOCX, 25KB)

Day 3 Friday 31 October 2025 WRL EES Hearing Timestamp.docx(DOCX, 24KB)

Week 2

Day 4 - Monday 3 November(DOCX, 28KB) – Proponent expert evidence: Aviation
Tuesday 4 November – Cup Day public holiday, no hearing

Day 5 - Wednesday 5 November(DOCX, 26KB) – Proponent expert evidence: Noise and Vibration; Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF)

Day 6 - Thursday 6 November(DOCX, 25KB) – Proponent expert evidence: Landscape and Visual
Day 7 - Friday 7 November(DOCX, 29KB) - Proponent expert evidence: Landscape and Visual continued.

Week 3

Day 8 - Monday 10 November(DOCX, 24KB) – Proponent (AusNet Services) expert evidence: bushfire and fire risk

Day 9 - Tuesday 11 November(DOCX, 26KB) – Proponent expert evidence: Social and Wellbeing

Day 10 - Wednesday 12 November(DOCX, 25KB) – Proponent expert evidence: Biodiversity/offset strategy

Thursday 13 November –Hearing did not sit

Friday 14 November – Hearing did not sit.

Week 4

Monday 17 November - Hearing did not sit

Day 13 -Tuesday 18 November(DOCX, 26KB) - Proponent expert evidence: Agriculture and Forestry
Day 14 -Wednesday 19 November(DOCX, 27KB) - Proponent expert evidence: Traffic and Transport
Day 15 -Thursday 20 November(DOCX, 27KB) - Land Use and Planning, Planning Scheme Amendment and Incorporated documents
Friday 21 November - Hearing did not sit

Week 5

Day 16 - Monday 24 November 2025 - Reserve Day - Hearing did not sit

Day 17 - Tuesday 25 November 2025(DOCX, 28KB) - Proponent’s (AusNet Services) Closing Submission and response to previous information requests

Day 18 - Wednesday 26 November 2025(DOCX, 28KB) - Moorabool Shire Council's Expert Evidence on Social Impacts and Opening submission
Day 19 - Thursday 27 November 2025(DOCX, 28KB) - Moorabool Shire Council's Expert Evidence on matters relating to Bushfire
Friday 28 November 2025 - Hearing did not sit.

Week 6

Day 20 - Monday 1 December(DOCX, 28KB) - Moorabool Shire Council’s Expert Evidence on Electricity Transmission and Undergrounding

Day 21 -Tuesday 2 December(DOCX, 28KB) - Moorabool Shire Council’s closing submission and presentation of Moorabool Shire Council’s proposed Environmental Performance Requirement (EPRs) amendments

Day 22 - Wednesday 3 December(DOCX, 28KB) - Melton City Council’s brief Opening Submission and Expert Evidence on Landscape and Visual

Day 23 - Thursday 4 December(DOCX, 29KB) - included both Melton City Council and Hepburn Shire Council’s Expert Evidence on Costing and Engineering from the same witness and followed by Melton City Council’s Expert Evidence on Aviation

Friday 5 December - Hearing did not sit.

Week 7

Day 24 - Monday 8 December 2025(DOCX, 29KB) - Melton City Council’s Expert Evidence on Social impacts and Closing Submission.

Day 25 - Tuesday 9 December 2025(DOCX, 31KB) - Hepburn Shire Council’s Opening Comments and Expert Evidence on Landscape and Visual and Expert Evidence on Tourism.

Day 26 - Wednesday 10 December 2025(DOCX, 36KB) - Hepburn Shire Council and City of Ballarat’s joint Expert Evidence on Agriculture and Hepburn Shire Council’s Closing Submission.

Day 27 - Thursday 11 December 2025(DOCX, 31KB) - Melton City Council and Hepburn Shire Council’s Expert Evidence on Costing and Engineering and Melton City Council’s Expert Evidence on Aviation.

Friday 12 December 2025 - Hearing did not sit.

Week 8

Day 28 - Monday 15 December included submissions from parties Charleson, Ford, Henderson Drife, May and Bouchier. Expert evidence on economic impacts was also provided by Mr Andrew Perkins of Hall Chadwick.(DOCX, 32KB)

Day 29 - Tuesday 16 December included Melton Air Services Investments Pty Ltd expert evidence on Aviation Safety and Risk Assessment by Mr Julian Fraiser of the Australian Helicopter Industry Association, followed by expert evidence on Aviation Safety and Aerodrome Operations by Daniel O'Donnell of Sequoia Aviation Pty Ltd.(DOCX, 33KB)

Day 30 - Wednesday 17 December - Hearing did not sit

Day 31 - Thursday 18 December was the final hearing day for 2025. It included submissions from the last of six local governments affected by the project, as well as several Victorian Government agencies. Submissions provided by the CFA, DEECA and Northern Grampians Shire Council.(DOCX, 36KB)

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