Shire presents its argumentsat renewables link EES hearing

MOORABOOL Shire Council has made its case on what it regards as unacceptable impacts of the proposed Western Renewables Link (WRL) in a series of presentations to the project’s inquiry and advisory committee.

Experts engaged by the Shire spent four days – Wednesday and Thursday last week and Monday and Tuesday this week – outlining the concerns at the Karstens conference and meeting venue in Queen Street, Melbourne.

The four days of the Shire’s presentations began on 26 November with the municipality’s concerns about social impacts of the WRL, delivered by Dr Kate Kerkin of K2 Planning.

Expert evidence about planning and environmental matters relating to bushfires was given on 27 November by two academics, Professor Michael Buxton of RMIT University and Professor Alan March of the University of Melbourne.

Monday’s hearing session was addressed by Les Brand, the director and principal consultant for Amplitude Consultants, an engineering consulting company.

And on Tuesday, the Shire’s closing submission was delivered by its barrister, Louise Hicks, who had also made an opening statement on the first day of the hearing.

The Shire lodged a formal written submission to the controversial project’s EES in September. It was among 534 submissions from individuals, organisations, agencies and councils.

The proposal, a 190-kilometre overhead high-voltage transmission line, would stretch from Bulgana in western Victoria to Sydenham in Melbourne’s north-west. About 60 kilometres would pass through the Shire.

The plan has provoked outrage from individuals, farmers, other landholders and municipalities, and has led to the formation of several groups to oppose it.

Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny appointed an independent group of experts from Planning Panels Victoria, referred to as the WRL Inquiry and Advisory Committee, to conduct the current EES hearing.

It is anticipated to run for 15 weeks and is scheduled to conclude on 5 March next year (with a break over the holiday period from 18 December and resuming on Monday 19 January).

The committee will then provide advice to the Minister.

People interested in listening to information of interest to them can access timestamps of audio recordings at moorabool.vic.gov.au/transmissionlines.

For more information about how to join the hearing online and how to ask questions of experts visit engage.vic.gov.au/Western-Renewables-Link-IAC.