General News
26 August, 2021
Opposition power plans draw concern from Moyne
THE Victorian Liberal Nationals have announced a new plan which aims to secure renewable energy in Victoria through key changes in Western Victoria. In response, Moyne Shire mayor Daniel Meade has called on the Liberal Nationals to consult communities impacted by the decision.
THE Victorian Liberal Nationals have announced a new plan which aims to secure renewable energy in Victoria through key changes in Western Victoria. In response, Moyne Shire mayor Daniel Meade has called on the Liberal Nationals to consult communities impacted by the decision.
The Victorian Liberal Nationals said Western Victoria remained a key area for renewable energy generation but inadequate transmission infrastructure had left renewable power bottlenecked on the grid or stuck in solar and wind farms.
Key initiatives announced as part of the plan include:
Reroute the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project (WVTNP) to a new route from Bulgana to Sydenham via Mortlake and Lara;
Upgrade the capacity of the line to 500KV for the entire 300km distance and upgrade the Bulgana Terminal Station to future-proof the key infrastructure as more renewables come online;
Direct VicGrid to establish a Competitive Evaluation Process through which this transmission project and all future transmission projects will be planned and costed; and
Task the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria – together with the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner – with investigating what options could be available to affected landowners for the purpose of addressing their legitimate interests and concerns.
As the number and size of solar and wind farms in Western Victoria continues to grow, the plan aims to capture the potential of the area while respecting existing land users, local communities and our natural environment.
Opposition leader Michael O’Brien said the upgraded project would unlock an additional 1800 MW of renewable energy capacity for Victoria – enough to power 2.4 million homes and small businesses.
“Daniel Andrews has no plan to fix his bottlenecked energy grid which is seeing renewable power being stuck on solar and wind farms,” he said.
“The Victorian Liberal Nationals back renewables and have a real plan to get more clean energy to every Victorian household and business.”
Shadow Minister for Energy and Renewables Brad Rowswell said the increased capacity could enable a reduction in Victoria’s emissions by a minimum of 13 per cent and help position the Liberal Nationals to meet legislated emissions reduction targets.
“This commitment means lower power bills for households and businesses across the state and cements the future of renewable energy in Western Victoria,” he said.
“Only the Liberal Nationals have a plan to unlock the renewable energy potential of Western Victoria and get affordable, clean power flowing across the state.”
In response to the plan, Moyne Shire Council has called on the Victorian Liberal Nationals to consult local communities which would be impacted by their decision to support a new route for the Western Victorian Transmission Line.
Moyne Shire mayor Daniel Meade urged the party to consult with all potentially impacted communities.
“Council has been clear in its view that its does not support any further wind farms or associated infrastructure in our Shire until a number of recommendations are met,” he said.
“A key priority for our communities is the undergrounding of transmission lines to minimise the visual and land use impacts they cause.”
Cr Meade said the Liberal Nationals have not consulted with the Moyne community about their decision to reroute the Western Victorian Transmission Line, effectively just shifting the problem to different communities.
“They’ve said the new route would protect communities across the Waubra, Glendonald, Mount Prospect and Long Forest areas, removing transmission lines from their backyards,” he said.
“However, their revised plans take the transmission line through the backyards of Moyne residents.
“Any future plans for this transmission line should consider the undergrounding of the line as a viable alternative, not simply moving the problem into Moyne, where we are already burdened with our fair share of renewable energy projects.”
Mr Rowswell said he appreciated Cr Meade was keen to understand how the 22km between Woorndoo and Mortlake, where there is currently no easement, would be impacted.
“Having left two messages for him to return my call, I am yet to have a conversation with him about this and our broader plan,” he said.
“The Western Victorian Transmission Network Project, in its current form, is a quick-fix solution to Labor’s long-term lack of vision. Serious community consultation was never on the table.
“In contrast, the Liberal Nationals recognise that the impact of transmission lines on communities is not always welcomed and needs to be balanced with the requirement to integrate power into our grid to ensure energy reliability.”
Mr Rowswell said the concerns raised was why VicGrid would serve “as our fit-for-purpose Victorian-based and Victorian-operated transmission planner,” as outlined in the plan.
“As part of their planning, communities, councils and residents will be given a fair dinkum chance to voice their concerns and aspirations,” he said.
“We’ll be open and transparent about what the process looks like, and how it can be achieved.”