VNI West: TCV seeks access rights and compulsory acquisition powers

The company charged with rolling out the controversial VNI West powerlines is in the midst of lodging an application to gain statutory powers to compulsorily acquire and access hundreds of regional properties.

Transmission Company Victoria, charged with rolling out the controversial VNI West 500kV powerlines, is in the midst of lodging an application to gain statutory powers to compulsorily acquire and access hundreds of properties along the route.

Up until now many farmers have refused to grant TCV’s contractors access to their land to undertake planning and survey work, hampering the Victorian Government’s bid to roll out VNI West to feed renewables from northwest Victoria and NSW into Melbourne.

Just this week TCV upped the amount it was willing to pay farmers just to access to their properties from a maximum of $10,000 to $50,000, but on condition payments above $30,000 included a caveat on the title guaranteeing access, to guard against losing access if the property changed hands.

“We will all stand at the gate and not let them in,” says Sutherland farmer Barry Batters, when told of TCV’s new powers to fast-tack the VNI West rollout. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Sutherland cropping and sheep producer Barry Batters, who has a section of the proposed VNI West route along 4.5km of his property, said his TCV liaison officer contacted him this week trying to sell a new offer of $50,000, which he rejected.

“I asked the liaison officer how the acceptance (of the offers going) and he said ‘slow’,” Mr Batters said. “Nobody wants the powerline.”

It appears the low acceptance rate has promoted TCV’s decision to gain new statutory powers, which Mr Batters and other landholder said they would oppose.

“We will all stand at the gate and not let them in,” Mr Batters said. “The whole community is on the same wavelength.”

Farmer Ben Duxson on his farm at Kanya with dogs Jack Russell Spud and Border Collie Charlie. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Kanya farmer Ben Duxson, who has the VNI West route passing across his property within 700m of his house and wool shed, said “we’ve been doing meetings up and down the line and getting more and more support”.

”We’re united and will fight them coming onto our land,” Mr Duxson said.

The Australian Energy Market Operator, which owns TCV, responded to questions on the issue by stating “it is our strong preference to continue to work with landholders on voluntary access agreements to deliver this important project”.

But once TCV is licenced by the ESC as a transmission company, it will be able to force its way onto properties under section 93 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 and compulsorily acquire easements.

The Act states “in the absence of an access agreement”, an electricity transmission company may enter land in accordance with section 93, provided it gives all affected parties a notice of access and the “power to acquire easements with approval of Governor in Council”.

A TCV spokesman said its application to become a licensed electricity transmission company was “currently sitting with the ESC to assess”.

But while AEMO and TCV say they have lodged their application, the ESC is yet to check all details have been provided.

An ESC spokeswoman said it was currently “focused on ensuring that the TCV application form is complete, providing all the documents we require”.

“Once TCV submits a completed application, the commission will assess and consult on it publicly,” she said.

Farmers and community groups will be given the opportunity to lodge submissions with the ESC on granting TCV statutory powers under the Act.

The ESC spokeswoman confirmed Powercor, which is currently just a distribution company, has also lodged an application to become a licensed electricity transmission company, but without detailing where it wants to build new lines.

Powercor said if granted the licence, it would “deliver transmission infrastructure, including new terminal stations and 220kV powerlines, to connect customer-related projects to the grid.

“These projects would include large-scale solar and wind generation, battery storage, data centres and commercial and industrial businesses. It will not be delivering large transmission line corridors.”

The ESC spokeswoman said “we are currently consulting on Powercor’s transmission licence application and welcome community feedback”.

The community can provide feedback on Powercor’s application on the ESC website, with consultation closing on June 11.

Originally published as VNI West: TCV seeks access rights and compulsory acquisition powers