Work on the contentious Western Renewables Link (WRL) transmission project continues to roll forward even as Victoria launches a review into its economics.
State planning minister Sonya Kilkenny on Wednesday published regulations exempting WRL from needing permits from the six councils it traverses, as part of what one source has described as a “gazetting blitzkrieg” ahead of the pre-election caretaker period.
It means Ausnet, which is building the project, can move forward with early works such as tree removals, setting up temporary buildings for staff, and preparing the terminal station sites without needing to get extra permissions.
It’s not full green light for Ausnet, however, which must do more work on minimising environmental risks such as landscape and local views, biodiversity, social and bushfire concerns in the Darley area, according to a government statement.
The project must obtain all relevant consents and permits before construction can commence, including any applicable Commonwealth approvals under the EPBC Act and other regulatory approvals.
It appears to be yet another twist in Victoria’s transmission saga.
Premier Ben Carroll promised to pause land acquisitions and immediately review the costs of the estimated $1.5 billion project, a day after Kilkenny green-lit approvals for the project, and on the same day as energy minister Jaclyn Symes promised to stay the course on the state’s energy transition plans.
But the amendment that puts specific control overlays over the route is the next step in the planning process following last month’s planning approval, adding weight to Symes’ assurances that WRL is not being paused while its costs are re-examined.
The Victorian side of the contentious VNI West interconnector linking to New South Wales (NSW) will also be excised from council planning processes, once it has gone through the environmental effects statement (EES) system.
The 190 km WRL transmission line is one of four major new grid extensions proposed for or being built in the state, joining the VNI West, Marinus Link and the offshore wind connection to the Latrobe Valley.
Stretching from Bulgana in Victoria’s west and Sydenham in Melbourne’s northwest, the 500 kilovolt (kV) line is supposed to feed new electricity from renewable energy zones in the state’s west into the capital, offsetting reduced flow from the east as coal power stations close.
But alongside VNI West, it’s also extremely contentious as consultation mistakes early in the process helped to build a coalition of opponents to any new transmission in the west.
The continual forward march of what is a years-long, complex development process is upsetting some who believed Carroll’s promise to review the project meant the whole thing would be paused – an outcome the government has denied.
But with around half of landowners signing agreements with the WRL organisation and active negotiations happening with the others, there is also support for the project in the areas it’s due to cross.
“If you look at the number of landholder agreements that have been signed along the route now, a majority of people in this area understand that we need this infrastructure,” says Ballarat local and Springmount Advisory head Tom Quinn.
“It’s a shame that the sqeaky wheels get so much air time, when it’s not reflective of the diversity of views in the community out here.”
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