MEMBER for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, is calling for more public information on why transmission lines for the Gippsland Renewable Energy Zone (GREZ) are not being placed underground.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr O’Brien called on the Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, to explain why underground transmission lines are not being considered – not just for the GREZ, but around the state.
“I am very aware of the additional costs and technical difficulties that will likely apply to underground versus overhead transmission lines,” Mr O’Brien said.
“But the government has recently gone through a round of consultation in which the vast majority of constituents – people faced with prospective overhead transmission lines on their properties – asked the question about undergrounding.
“The Minister needs to come out and explain and give information about the potential costs and benefits of overhead versus underground (powerlines).
“I have spoken with many residents affected by the proposed AusNet GREZ project from Giffard to the Latrobe Valley, and naturally they would prefer to see any line go underground.”
These residents previously made their concerns known during the Gippsland New Energy Conference in August last year, urging AusNet services to either place the transmission lines underground, or use an existing easement from BassLink to Loy Yang.
Mr O’Brien said there were potential local positives from the development of new offshore wind farms in Gippsland, but the negatives for local landholders needed to be acknowledged.
“I certainly welcome the notion that the government will provide additional payments to those residents who host transmission lines, but this can’t be seen as ‘go away money’ and I’m not sure that what is being proposed will ever be enough,” he said.
“The government needs to be considering underground options up front and explaining to the community – particularly those most directly affected – about whether underground is relevant and affordable for these new transmission lines.”
