NSW Farmers ‘held to ransom’ over power lines amid forcibly acquired land row with EnergyCo
Farmers whose land is being forcibly acquired to build energy transmission lines are accusing a NSW government authority of using “blackmail tactics”.
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Farmers whose land is being forcibly acquired to build energy transmission lines are accusing a NSW government authority of using “blackmail tactics”, with many saying they still do not know basic details such as who will pay rates and be liable for damages, despite being forced to sign over parts of their land next week.
This comes as the NSW government begins a review into how landholders are compensated for compulsory acquisition, with Treasurer Daniel Moohkey acknowledging current legislation is “not fit” for purpose.
Mr Moohkey and Energy Minister Penny Sharpe told farmers at a meeting in Dunedoo last month the current legislation was not up to scratch, but that this review would not be done in time to help them.
“It is not fit for the purpose of dealing with energy transition,” Mr Moohkey said in budget estimates last Friday.
Mr Moohkey also acknowledged that EnergyCo had not been negotiating in a way that was “satisfactory”, saying Minister Sharpe had since told EnergyCo it needed to be “a model litigant”.
“Both the Minister and I were clear with them that we didn’t think the manner they (the farmers) were being engaged by EnergyCo was satisfactory,” he said.
The review will delve into the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act which dictates how much private landholders who have their lands compulsorily acquired for projects such as rail, roads or transmission lines can be compensated.
A Planning Department spokesperson said the review aimed to help landholders better understand the requirements around acquisition and to better negotiate for compensation.
“The review will aim to remove areas of uncertainty and complexity… and make clear the legal rights of landholders and obligations for acquiring authorities,” the spokesperson said.
This comes as frustrated landholders accuse state run EnergyCo of strong-arming them into agreeing not to take their compensation claims to the valuer general.
Dunedoo farmer Stuart Hackney will have transmission lines go right down the centre of his 660 acre farm.
The original plan would have seen the lines affect the location of his grain silos and cattle yards.
After negotiating a slight change of route to avoid the silos, Mr Hackney said he was told if he didn’t agree the route would revert to the original plan.
“If I fight it and go to the Valuer General, they’ve blackmailed me that the route will revert to how it was in the original Environmental Impact Statement,” he said.
Central West farmer James Armstrong said he was also told the same thing, after he negotiated a minor change to the route of 8km of transmission lines to go through his Dunedoo property, the closest of which goes 170 metres from his house.
“They’ve said that if we go to the Valuer General the alternative route is off the table,” he said.
Both Mr Armstrong and Mr Hackney said despite being expected to agree to the terms they still hadn’t been told details such as who would be liable to pay in the event of damage to the line, or how long construction would take.
“They’ve said it will take four years but they’ve not given us any more information than that,” Mr Armstrong said.
“Additionally the lease rate is the same as if I was leasing the land at agricultural value, but the huge scope of what they’re allowed to do has not been clarified.”
A spokesperson from EnergyCo said the “preference is to secure land access via agreement where possible.”
“We can’t comment on individual cases, but we are working with landholders and considering individual property needs.”
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Originally published as NSW Farmers ‘held to ransom’ over power lines amid forcibly acquired land row with EnergyCo
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