Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Right now one of the issues across my electorate is the proposal to build new transmission lines that will stretch about 120 kilometres, from Bulgana to north of Creswick right through to Melbourne's west. The towers built will stand at about the same height as the MCG towers. They are huge and they cut through both residential growth areas and some of the most productive agricultural land in the country. Not only is it productive land; it's an incredibly beautiful part of the world. While we do need the capacity to connect renewable energy into the electricity grid, the way it is being done is causing significant concerns across the community that I represent.

From the start, AusNet's failure of communication and their lack of proper engagement with local people and, in particular, with local councils means that the community wasn't listened to and the unique aspect of the land being crossed was not understood. In meetings I've held with AusNet, the company contracted to build these lines, I have repeatedly raised the concerns of the community and called on those building the project to engage more meaningfully with the landholders and with local councils along the route. In particular, those behind the project should seriously consider the possibilities of going underground, particularly through highly bushfire prone areas. Whilst I understand there are costs associated with this, it would be better to deliver an outcome communities along the route can work with rather than the disruption that we're seeing currently.

In my role as local member, I have written to the Treasurer, the energy minister, the environment minister, the Victorian planning minister, AEMO and AusNet itself about various aspects of this proposal, from the problems with the RIT-T process through to the Foreign Investment Review Board requirements and the importance of protecting productive agricultural land. Most recently, I have held meetings with potato growers and producers. Our region produces around 75 per cent of the potatoes consumed in Australia. That's why I met last Monday with McCain to discuss how best they can assist in making sure that governments understand the concerns of our local potato growers.

The planning process for this proposal does not take sufficient account of the loss of productive land should the overhead towers go ahead. There is a great deal of concern, particularly in those communities in my electorate but also in other parts of the electorate, about what that actually means. I do think that needs to be considered in the process. It is an issue that does need to be rectified. AusNet needs to do better. The Morrison and Andrews governments need to pay attention to this issue and make sure that those behind the project actually get it right. If they don't, they are jeopardising the social license for renewables in our regional and rural areas.

Last week two farmers put up a sign saying 'Where is Catherine King?' I can definitely and confidently say, 'Here I am, where I've always been: standing up for my community.'