King calls for power line reset

FEDERAL Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, has publicly come out against the controversial Western Victoria Transmission Network project, calling on all involved to “go back to the drawing board.”

Speaking in Parliament last week, Ms King said the proposed northern corridor for the project had united those potentially affected in protest and the Australian Energy Market Operator, AusNet Services, State and Federal Government needed to “start again”.

“From Darley and Myrniong through to potato country in Newlyn, Mount Prospect and surrounds, the community has come together to fight against the plan put forward by AEMO and being built by AusNet,” she said.

“It has united Labor MPs, Liberal MPs, tourism operators, the Victorian Farmers Federation, big businesses like McCain’s, residents in suburban growth areas and those in regional farming communities.

“It is increasingly clear to all of us that the Northern corridor proposed to build the transmission lines and the transfer station at Mount Prospect is simply unviable and it is time to go back to the drawing board.”

Ms King instead proposed a corridor from Bulgana to Mortlake, then to Geelong and through to Sydenham.

“In doing so it should be using existing easements as the corridors, we should be looking to use the latest in technology, undergrounding where we can, battery storage along the way, ensuring that there is local community benefit not just through community funds but through cheaper access to renewables in the corridors and proper ongoing renumeration for all affected landholders,” she said.