South Australian farmers fear ElectraNet’s Northern Transmission Project a threat to agricultural heartland
Hundreds of farmers have rallied over plans to send a multi-billion power line project through their fields - with no guarantee they’ll be well paid for sacrificing prime cropping land.
A high voltage transmission line connecting Greater Adelaide and Upper Spencer Gulf will come at the cost of prime agricultural land and farmers must be adequately compensated, a peak industry body says.
The Northern Transmission Project, known as NTx, is a major network upgrade to increase South Australia’s energy security, connect renewable energy sources to Adelaide and support growing industrial demand.
The Australian Energy Regulator earlier this year approved ElectraNet to begin work on the first stage of NTx, with a preferred corridor selected from the Bundey substation, near Robertstown, to Whyalla.
But it’s the four proposed corridors from the substation to Greater Adelaide that have caused angst among farmers as possible routes could include grain-growing areas near Roseworthy, Kapunda, Eudunda, Riverton and Hallett.
The proposed NTx Southern corridor – spanning 130 kilometres with a width of 60 to 100 metres – has four route options: one running west of Hamley Bridge between Riverton and Saddleworth; two via Freeling through either Tarlee or Marrabel; and a fourth east through Kapunda and Eudunda.
The towers would typically range from 50 to 75 metres in height and be spaced 400 to 600 metres apart.
The towers will have a footprint of around 15m x 15m.
While it’s unknown how many farms will be affected until a route is chosen, the corridor is expected to slice through dozens of properties in the state’s grain bowl.
Sixth-generation broadacre cropper Ben Plueckhahn, 32, who farms around 1000 hectares at Saddleworth, understands the upgrade will deliver “critical infrastructure” for the state but worries about the long-term impact.
“That tower is going to be there for its lifetime, whether it’s 50 or 80 years. So it’s going to impact operations every day from now until then,” the father-of-three said.
“It adds a safety concern as you’ve got to avoid power lines (...) we’d have to divert around the pole to try cover all the crops in that area and with all that extra turning, you can’t do it as efficiently.
“The more time I have to spend out in the paddock doing jobs, the more it costs me.”
He was also concerned about potential biosecurity risks from maintenance workers accessing the property.
His concerns were shared by more than 300 farmers at community forums in Riverton and Marrabel last week.
A petition with around 400 signatures launched after the forums is calling on ElectraNet to consider a fifth corridor, located east of Goyder’s Line, instead.
Mr Plueckhahn, who helped organise the Riverton forum, said this route, which goes through Bundey, Truro, and Salisbury, would use grazing country instead.
“Unfortunately, there’s still going to be losers even with this route because the reality is if you want to get out of greater Adelaide, you’ve got to go through cropping areas,” he said.
“It’s about trying to minimise the impact.”
Grain Producers SA chief executive Brad Perry acknowledged the importance of reliable power supply and renewable energy but said that “we cannot continue to lose prime cropping land to alternative developments.”
He said growers should be properly compensated if transmission lines and easements went on their land, which under SA legislation, only meant a one-off payment.
“We need to see equity in the compensation between the states, because it shouldn’t matter
whether they’re built in SA or NSW,” he said.
“Our farmers are being asked to give up parts of their property for infrastructure that benefits everyone — they shouldn’t be the ones left behind.”
While SA farmers receive one-off payments, their interstate counterparts have greater legislative protection.
Victoria, NSW and Queensland governments have legislated payments of $200,000-$300,000 a kilometre for farmers to have transmission lines on their properties, to be provided in instalments.
Mr Plueckhahn said it was only fair South Australian farmers received ongoing compensation.
“Those towers are going to be there for years and will impact operations every day from now until (they’re removed) so a one-off payment doesn’t quite cut it,” he said.
An SA Government spokesman said there was no intention to pursue legislative changes for SA as it would “lock in a regime in which costs are passed on to customers”.
ElectraNet said it was committed to compensating landholders fairly through individual negotiations to reflect the circumstances of the property and project requirements.
NTx project director Dave Tansell acknowledged the Greater Adelaide link was a more complex area and extensive community engagement had included 47 events.
“ElectraNet truly values our relationships with landholders and we will work with them at an individual level to understand how they use their land and any special requirements that apply to their property,” he said.
“For well over half a century the network in South Australia has operated side-by-side with farming operations.”
Consultation on the Greater Adelaide to Mid North link closes at the end of this month.
The NTx project was still in its planning phase, which included cost-benefit analysis to ensure it was in the long-term interests of consumers.
Construction is scheduled to commence in 2028, subject to approvals and feasibility assessment.
