Association on transmission project

Wimmera Development Association has outlined its position involving electrical transmission infrastructure planned between the Wimmera and Melbourne in a letter to Premier Daniel Andrews.

The association has stressed a need and support for the project, which is generating community anxiety in the Central Highlands, but is also calling for compromise.

In the letter, association executive director Chris Sounness has stressed his organisation’s desire to avoid regional division over the issue.

He has also asked Western Victoria Transmission Network Project planners to consider scoping options to place lines underground.

Plans on the table include installing electrical lines, towers and other infrastructure needed to tap into western Victorian renewable energy between Bulgana near Great Western to Melbourne.

Here is a condensed version of Mr Sounness’ letter to the premier –

Premier Andrews, – RE: Support for the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project.

Wimmera Development Association is the region’s peak sustainable development body, covering the municipalities of Horsham Rural City, West Wimmera, Hindmarsh, Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack shires.

The association’s role is to work with the community and government/s to attract new investment, further develop existing business and promote the Wimmera’s sustainable-development opportunities, both within and outside the region.

WDA is a vital link between industry and government and has a proven track record in attracting new development and opportunities to the region.

Wimmera Development Association is keen to highlight how important the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project, WVTNP, is to our region.

This is a transformational project for our region.

When complete, the WVTNP will unlock $5-billion worth of planned and proposed investment, plus there is likely to be another $8-billion of investment in renewables, making it a project generating $13-billion of investment for the state of Victoria.

The project will also unlock food-manufacturing potential in the region, enabling at least a doubling of industry investment.

The WVTNP is also a vital project for the Grampians’ region goal to reach net-zero emissions before 2043 and the Victorian Government target to reduce emissions by 28 to 33 percent by 2025 and 45 to 50 percent by 2030, with a target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

As part of its plan to achieve net-zero, the Victorian government identified Western Victoria as one of six key Renewable Energy Zones, REZS, in the state, with the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project identified as a stage one project to enable new projects to be connected to the energy grid.

As stated by the Victorian government, the development of Victoria’s REZS will unlock more than 200 megawatts of new clean energy, while also creating jobs in regional Victoria, boosting energy reliability and affordability, and strengthening our network for the future.

The Wimmera and southern Mallee are already seeing the benefits of being a REZ with Renewable-energy generators developing key projects in the region that will input energy to the grid and support economic and job growth in our region.

Without transmission infrastructure however, the REZS will not develop as intended.

The challenge is that to provide a link between the REZ in western Victoria and consumers across Victoria, the project needs to be routed through prime agricultural land and recognised tourism precincts in the Central Highlands region.

Farmers and locals are expressing huge reservations about the project and its impact.

While WDA and the Wimmera-mallee community are never keen to be seen as divisive, for the Grampians region and regional Victoria in general, we need this transformational infrastructure project to go ahead and communities and regions not to be divided.

The number-one concern in the Central Highlands seems not to be the project itself, but that the transmission line is planned to be built overhead.

The opportunity might be to fully scope the transmission line going underground; the costs involved, risks and advantages of such an approach.

It might slow down the Environmental Effects Statement process for the project, but it allows the project to continue being scoped, which is essential for investment in our region.

This approach would address the Central Highlands community’s primary concerns around the overhead transmission lines and might help to reduce the division between neighbouring regions and communities for the benefit of all while this investigation is undertaken.