Western Victoria Transmission Network Project

Latest news 

AusNet Services has released the corridors and next steps for determining the final route: westvictnp.com.au/1news

Council commissioned an independent local economic impact assessment that led to the following findings:

• The RIT-T does not appear to consider costs or benefits outside the electricity market.
• The RIT-T process selects a preferred option on the basis of net direct electricity market benefit and does not take into account any local, indirect or non-market impacts (positive or negative).
• The capital costs considered include construction, operation, maintenance, regulatory costs, and easements. It seems that no other costs are considered such as non-market economic, social, and environmental impacts.
• The benefits assessed include price benefits to electricity consumers and the profitability of energy production and subsequent flow to business.
• It is apparent that no other benefits are considered, including non-market economic impacts.
   

Jump to a section

Project background

Council involvement

Project timeline and resulting actions

 

Project background

What is the project? 

AusNet Services has been awarded the contract to construct 190 km of new overhead high voltage transmission lines from Sydenham to Bulgana, a new terminal station to the north of Ballarat and several electricity infrastructure upgrades across western Victoria. Whilst the route of the transmission line has not yet been determined, AusNet Services has identified an area of interest and is undertaking investigations. 

Moorabool Shire is proposed to have almost 60 km of 500 kV transmission lines from the far west border through to the east, and may also house the new terminal station.

Project approvals 

AusNet Services prepared an Environment Effects Statement (EES) for the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project, as mandated by the Minister for Planning in August 2020.

The Minister for Planning issued the final scoping requirements in December 2020 which broadly outline the issues that AusNet Services must address in the Environmental Effects Statement assessment.

Read the Environmental Effects Statement Scoping Requirements.

Read the Environment Effects Statement Scoping FAQs.

Once completed, an inquiry will consider the EES and submissions, conduct a public hearing and report in writing to the Minister, who will then make his assessment and provide it to decision-makers for consideration.  

The project is also classified as a ‘controlled action’ under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and assessments will be managed by the State Government under this Bilateral Agreement.  
 

Council involvement

What is Council doing? 

We are addressing community concerns and supporting residents by urging decision-makers to put the lines underground and provide transparent information to the public.  

Underground is the solution  

In order to explore the viability of alternative solutions, we commissioned an independent report that compares 500 kV Overhead Lines with 500 kV Underground Cables. It confirmed that the undergrounding of powerlines is a viable option. 

Key findings:  

• To install a portion of the route underground is a technically feasible option

• Undergrounding significantly reduces the magnetic field level when standing 15m away, compared to overhead lines

• Underground lines are not susceptible to weather conditions and experience a third of the forced outages

• The easement requirement for underground is two-thirds of that of above ground 

• There are less vegetation management requirements for underground lines

• Overhead lines emit audible noise whereas underground lines do not

Read the full report here. 
 

Local economic impact assessment

Council commissioned an independent local economic impact assessment to examine the economic advantages and disadvantages that had not been previously considered as part of the project’s Regulatory Investment Test for Transmission (RIT-T) process.

Key findings:

• The RIT-T does not appear to consider costs or benefits outside the electricity market.

• The RIT-T process selects a preferred option on the basis of net direct electricity market benefit and does not take into account any local, indirect or non-market impacts (positive or negative).

• The capital costs considered include construction, operation, maintenance, regulatory costs, and easements. It is apparent that no other costs are considered such as non-market economic, social, and environmental impacts.

• The benefits assessed include price benefits to electricity consumers and the profitability of energy production and subsequent flow to business.

• It is apparent that no other benefits are considered, including non-market economic impacts.

Read the full report here. 
 

Green and Unseen campaign 

Council has launched a campaign called Green and Unseen which urges AusNet Services to put the transmission lines underground.  
 
“We’re proud to produce renewable energy through our wind farms… but putting the powerlines overhead is not green and is actually dangerous to Moorabool residents – hence our Green and Unseen campaign.” said Mayor Cr David Edwards.

 

 

Educating the community 

We are coordinating a series of online community sessions with independent experts to better inform the community on various aspects of the project.  

1. Understanding the Environmental Effects Statement (EES) process
   Presented by Jack Krohn. Senior Impact Assessor, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
   Wednesday 23 September 2020
   Watch the recording
   Additional Q&A - DELWP
   Additional Q&A - AusNet Services
    

2. Understanding compulsory land acquisition and compensation 
   Presented by Tony Rutherford, Shaun Whittaker and Jackson Dyer from Mills Oakley Law Firm
   Thursday 8 October 2020
   Watch the recording
    

3. Energy Safe Victoria Part 1 - Safety and High Voltage Transmission Lines
   Presented by Brett Fox and Gavin Jackson from Energy Safe Victoria
   Wednesday 21 October 2020
   Watch the recording
   Additional Q&A - Energy Safe Victoria

   Energy Safe Victoria Part 2 - Farming and High Voltage Transmission Lines
   Presented by Brett Fox and Gavin Jackson from Energy Safe Victoria
   Thursday 3 December 2020
   Watch the recording
   Additional Q&A 2 - Energy Safe Victoria
    

4. AEMO explains RiT-T and findings
   Presented by Tony Chappel, Alex Wonhas, Greg Thorpe & Alistair Parker.
   Wednesday 9 December 2020
   Watch the recording
   Additional Q&A - AEMO

 

Project timeline and resulting actions

Council has been advocating on behalf of the community with decision-makers throughout the entire process: