Northern Victoria Region
Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (12:40): (235) My question is to the Minister for Energy and Resources on behalf of residents of north-central Victoria. I support renewables, but I also support the regional communities that will carry the burden of delivering renewable energy to the city. The minister’s media release on Saturday afternoon announced the preferred route – option 5A – for the high-voltage transmission line known as Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West that will cross valuable agricultural land, including at Charlton and Boort. The transmission towers will be 80 metres high – as tall as the MCG light towers – and will be able to be seen for up to 27 kilometres. It is news to many in the region, and public engagement has been poor. Transmission Company Victoria was only recently established to engage all stakeholders along the new route to identify the preferred corridor by August this year. It is a massive project, costing billions. I ask: where is the minister, where is the public consultation, and where are the details about compensation to be paid to the landowners, neighbours and communities impacted by these transmission lines?