Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner hears our concerns
The Commissioner will refer complaints to relevant authorities and help ensure that they are properly addressed
Darley Power Fight had a productive 2-hour meeting in Darley today (21 April 2021) with Mr Andrew Dyer, the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner. Andrew and his team came to better understand the impacts of overhead transmission infrastructure through our region.
A small team represented the concerns of the local community, addressing the many impacts of this project on residents in Darley, Coimadai and Merrimu. We left no stone unturned and covered the following topics:
- Environment (Biolinks, Landscape character, habitat, weeds, disease, erosion, fauna and flora)
- Bushfire Risk (Fire-fighting, Water Bombing, Ignition, dry woodland)
- Visual Amenity (Volume of residents, urban growth framework, property values)
- Tourism (Recreational tourism, 1001 Steps)
- Economic Impact (Business, agriculture, regional appeal, land, urban growth)
- Safety Concerns (Rescue efforts)
- Poor Consultation (Social License, Legitimacy, Credibility, Trust, community push-back)
- Desired Outcomes
We designed and professionally printed a 36 page ‘Cumulative Environmental Effects’ brochure that we gave to Andrew for some light reading. This document details all impacts with supporting facts and evidence.
Andrew provided us with a few avenues to pursue which we will certainly be doing. We made it very clear that we will continue to place immense pressure on key stakeholders and that the impact on so many residents, in such a beautiful region must be mitigated. The significance, character and amenity of this highly valued landscape must be protected.
The Commissioner will work collaboratively with all levels of government, scientists, experts, industry and the community to resolve complaints from community members about proposed and operational wind farms, large scale solar farms (5 MW or more), storage facilities, such as large scale batteries (1 MW or more) and new major transmission projects.
The Commissioner will refer complaints about wind farms, large scale solar farms, storage facilities and new major transmission projects to relevant authorities and help ensure that they are properly addressed.
“While this project is important to the future of Victoria’s power system, it’s critical we assess its environmental effects to avoid or minimise impacts on the community or the environment.”
“The Victorian Government supports an efficient, modern, sustainable and affordable energy system – the EES process will tell us exactly where we stand and how we can move forward, it’s important to get this right.”
“This will assess the proposed area between Bulgana and Sydenham through Victoria’s most transparent and rigorous environmental assessment framework.”
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The only way to make a difference is to get involved. It’s easy to sit back and wait for others to do something but when you are staring at 75-85m towers in a few years time, you will kicking yourself for not doing something when you had the chance. This is OUR only chance to stop these towers, so get involved now.
Welcome to the home of Darley Power Fight. A group of residents in Darley, Coimadai and Merrimu, united against high voltage transmission towers passing through our backyard. We came together through the realisation the transmission line will divide a narrow corridor between Darley and the Lerderderg State Park; altering landscape character, causing widespread damage to critical habitat for threatened species, increasing fire risk to the Park and thousands of residents, destroy our visual amenity, harm local agriculture and will impact businesses and property values. It will completely desecrate, in a few years, what nature has taken millions of years to create.