29th June 2022

Media Release - Stop AusNet's Towers is taking it's fight to Ballarat

Communities along a 190km proposed high-voltage transmission are taking their fight to the Ballarat and delivering a simple message: Stop AusNet’s Towers – save our communities, our farms, our jobs and the environment.

Stop AusNet's Tower’s is rallying again against this ill-conceived project and wants to ensure the people of Ballarat and the surrounding areas are aware of the significant negative impacts of this project on their community.

We also want to put State politicians and candidates on notice.

Our rally will commence at Ballarat Airport from 11:00am we will have a vehicle convoy around Ballarat concluding at Lydiard Street at 1:00pm on Friday 15th July.

Hundreds of farmers, residents and landowners will rally in Ballarat demanding the State Government refuse to approve AusNet’s proposal for overhead high-voltage transmission lines linking Ararat to Melbourne’s West.

Stop AusNet’s Towers is an alliance of landowners, residents, farmers and communities concerned about the environmental, social and economic impact of the proposed Western Victorian Transmission Network Project.

Stop AusNet’s Towers spokeswoman Emma Muir said AusNet was proposing to build 380 high-voltage transmission towers carving a destructive 100-meter-wide easement through farms in Victoria’s food bowl, bushfire-prone landscape and protected state parks and native habitat.

“If AusNet gets its way, this project will devastate our communities. Bushfire risk will skyrocket, high-value agricultural land that feeds Victoria will be destroyed and land values will plummet.

“This project will cause immeasurable economic damage to local farmers and irreparable harm to the environment and landscape – to say nothing of the amenity and liveability of our region and the wellbeing of residents.”

The Moorabool Central Highlands Power Alliance represents communities that support real action on climate change.

“Our communities are regional and farming communities – we see, feel and experience the negative effects of climate change every day. We see climate change in weather patterns that make farming more difficult, in rain that falls less predictably, and in bushfire seasons that start earlier, ends later, and delivers more devastating fires.

“Our communities support renewable energy and understand the importance of an energy grid that delivers renewable energy to where it is needed. Real action on climate change and the delivery of renewable energy should not come at the cost of food security, cause catastrophic damage to the environment nor put lives at risk from an increased bushfire risk.

“Real action on climate change should not be an either or – where the livelihoods of those in regional and rural communities are sacrificed and unnecessary environmental damage is undertaken for outdated and high-risk transmission.

The proposed transmission corridor will cause irreversible environmental damage to established bio links, endangered flora and fauna and include the removal of 155,000 mature native trees.

There is a better way to deliver the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project – one that delivers the same benefits, the same action on climate change, without destroying our environment and communities.

We do not support this project because;

• It will devastate our communities
• Bushfire risk will skyrocket
• High-value agricultural land that feeds Victoria will be destroyed
• It will cause immeasurable environmental damage including the loss of native and endangered habitat and protected landscapes
• It will cause immense economic harm
• Land values will plummet
• It will dramatically decease the amenity and livability of our region and the wellbeing of the community

WHAT: Stop AusNet’s Towers Ballarat Winter Rally

WHEN: Friday 15th July

8:30am - 10:30am Vehicles can access Ballarat Airport parking
10.30am: Vehicle Convoy departs Ballarat Airport
12.30pm: If your coming on foot arrive at Lydiard Street.
1:00 pm: Formal speaking at Lydiard Street commences.

WHERE: Ballarat Streets for Vehicle Convoy ending at Lydiard Street, Ballarat

 

CONTACT: Emma Muir, MCHPA, 0412 685 404

MORE INFORMATION: stopausnetstowers.com.au or facebook.com/stopausnetstowers