Landowners call for Senate inquiry into Powerlink actions

Landowners in the path of potential high-voltage power lines connecting the Borumba Dam hydro project to the state power grid want an inquiry into the impacts of renewable energy infrastructure on rural and regional Australians.

Landowners in the path of potential high-voltage power lines connecting the Borumba Dam  hydro project to the state power grid want an inquiry into the impacts of renewable energy infrastructure on rural and regional Australians.

A group of Kilkivan landowners, formed after the notification of potential high voltage transmission lines crossing through South Burnett and Gympie have called for a federal Senate inquiry into renewable energy.

“We need the federal Senate to be drowning in thousands of submissions so they have no choice but to call an inquiry,” a Kilkivan Action Group statement proclaimed.

“Transmission lines are a countrywide problem extending from Victoria to north Queensland,” group representative Katy McCallum said.

“We are all putting together submissions to reject the powerlines in their entirety and say, ‘No, you’re not welcome here at all’.

“We are just going to continue to keep the gate’s locked and refuse to accept their paperwork,” she said.

The call comes after Powerlink released the selected transmission line paths in April 2023, which would affect up to 300 properties by connecting electricity from the pumped hydro project at Borumba Dam to the state grid at Woolooga and Halys substations.

The two proposed transmission line paths cover 200km and affect up to 300 properties.

Kilkivan Action Group and advocacy group Property Rights Australia are now calling for the government to consider the impacts on rural and regional Australia from renewable energy and associated infrastructure.

Their submissions include looking into the regulation of development and planning, the limited legislative and approval mechanisms, and social, economic and environmental impacts within the renewable energy zones, their projects and transmission lines.

Federal LNP Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien supported the inquiry and suggested the group reach out to ALP and Greens senators with their concerns.

Wide Bay LNP MP Llew O'Brien says he will push for a Senate inquiry into transmission lines. Picture: Christine Schindler

“I, together with my LNP colleagues, will continue to push for a Senate Inquiry and in the meantime you should direct your members to make submissions to Queensland ALP and Greens’ Senators, seeking their support for the Coalition’s Senate Inquiry into transmission lines,” Mr O’Brien said in a response to Kilkivan Action Group.

Mr O’Brien said this would be the fourth notice of a motion for a Senate inquiry into renewables over the past 10 months, the last three failing to gain enough support from the Senate to go forward.

A National Party senator is expected to give a notice of a motion once again on Tuesday, June 16, 2023, as supporters from around the country opposing transmission lines and renewable projects have been called to Canberra.

Jim Willmott from Property Rights Australia, an advocacy group backing the call for a Senate inquiry, welcomed the news.

Interim chair of Property Rights Australia Jim Willmott has been advocating for residents on a political and local level. Picture: Christine Schindler

“It shows politicians are listening to us despite getting knocked back,” he said.

It all comes as the list of grudges grows between residents and authorities after a series of star pickets and signs with meeting times and dates on them protesting the transmission lines were removed by Gympie council workers on behalf of Transport and Main Roads in May.

Signs around Kilkivan opposing Powerlink transmission lines were taken down by council workers at TMR’s request. Picture: Christine Schindler

The signs arrived back at a Gympie council depot in Kilkivan in early June, with a TMR spokesperson requesting ”group members not take out their anger regarding the sign removal on GRC staff as council were only acting at TMR’s request”.

Ms McCallum said the whole thing felt “bigger than Ben Hur”.

“At the moment, we are just a herd of brown’s cows and I don't mean that in a derogatory way,” Ms McCallum said.

“It’s just local groups from one end of the country to the other just fighting to save their homes, that’s pretty much it.”