Why can’t Western Victoria’s proposed transmission line just go underground?

Communities and landholders provided feedback that underground construction should be considered for this project, and we have been investigating undergrounding as part of the Environment Effects Statement (EES). In response to community requests for information, we shared our preliminary findings at the end of last year.

Independent experts covered key areas of community interest with regard to environmental impacts, farming restrictions and the cost of undergrounding the transmission line versus overhead construction.

It was found that underground construction has less visual and landscape impact compared to overhead except where above ground facilities and easements through vegetation are required.

Experts also found that underground construction requires digging 1.5 to 2 metre deep open trenches along the length of the project, requiring the removal of trees and vegetation within a 30 metre wide easement causing significant ground disturbance. By comparison overhead construction results in less disturbance to agriculture, flora, fauna and Aboriginal cultural heritage. Overhead transmission lines have a smaller construction and operational footprint and can span over sensitive areas such as flora and fauna.

Another key consideration is restricted farming operations along the proposed route.

While placing the cable underground may improve visual impact, there are restrictions on permitted activities within the easement. For example, no cropping is permitted within the 30 metre easement. Similarly, excavation beyond 300 millimetres is not typically permitted above underground cables, which may prevent certain farming activities.

Then there’s the cost – while it isn’t everything, cost is a major consideration as Victoria’s electricity users will ultimately pay for this project. The investigation found undergrounding the project would cost approximately 16 times more than overhead construction.

This extra cost would be paid for with higher power bills.

We’re continuing to investigate partial undergrounding as part of the EES process, but we’ve shared the preliminary findings because we know it is important to local landholders, communities and stakeholders.

The detailed findings will form part of the EES, which is expected to be lodged with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) at the end of this year. The EES will be reviewed by DELWP before being exhibited for public comment.

If you’d like to read the preliminary findings on undergrounding, you can download the Underground Construction Summary from the resources section of our website at: westvictnp.com.au/resource/