The Moorabool and Central Highlands Power Alliance has filed today an application in the Supreme Court of Victoria seeking to quash AEMO’s recent decision that its Western Renewables Link Project remains the preferred option to resolve renewable generation constraints in Western Victoria.  Further, the application seeks that AEMO reapplies the process to decide what is the preferred option (known as a regulatory investment test for transmission or RIT-T).

The Alliance wrote to Mr Daniel Westerman, CEO of AEMO, in August 2022 requesting their decision that the RIT-T must be reapplied. AEMO published its decision on 4 November 2022.

It decided that none of the transformational events which the Alliance says are material changes in circumstances changed the preferred option.

The proposed route for the Western Renewables Link Project runs through communities, prime agriculture land and significant environmental regions in central western Victoria.

The Alliance represents these communities and has campaigned tirelessly since the Project was announced in mid 2020.

The Alliance supports renewable energy and the development of transmission infrastructure in Victoria, but not at the significant environmental, financial, agricultural and personal cost on land owners and communities along the proposed Project route.

The Alliance will provide more information on our legal undertakings to the community in the New Year.

AusNet continue their deplorable engagement with the community and landholders. This week many landholders have received correspondence from AusNet seeking to engage landholders to sign-up for what appears to be a range of obligations with ambiguous intentions. An initial review of the correspondence makes AusNet’s requests unclear and its intentions uncertain.

Whist the correspondence is framed under the guise of undertaking studies and land investigation it does lean towards a tacit agreement that may lead to the signing an easement option and implies you are agreeing to the project.

A disingenuous offer of $10,000 is made to entice landholders to essentially waive all rights to land access and give an initial green light to commence the project on their land.

This offer is premature and given the ambiguity of AusNet’s request and intent should not be considered. This is a project that has not gone through the EES review process and has not been approved by the Victorian State Government.

Given the timing of this communication, is this another deliberate intimidation tactic to scare landholders and to deliberately antagonize around the holiday period? Are these actions calculated, blind indifference or confounding ignorance? AusNet have delivered this communication at a time when most will be focused on time with family over the Christmas break.

AusNet’s actions here exemplify a low level of corporate social responsibility.

Specific concerns with the correspondence:

• The varied and mixed messaging within the communication makes it’s intent unclear.
• The proposed agreement may be the first step in a long-term easement option which may be detrimental to future discussions.
• The proposed land access agreement does not provide suitable protection for landholders and falls far short of the proposed access protocols proposed by MCHPA, based on best practice land access agreements.
• The agreement provides no independent compliant process.
• AusNet’s claim they have been working with landholders to mitigate impacts is misleading.
• AusNet’s offer of compensation for access is a demonstration of their desperation.

We have shared copies of the correspondence with our legal professionals for further consideration and once we receive feedback, we will in turn share this with the community.

Those who have received this latest confronting letter from AusNet are encouraged to “hold the line”, collectively we must not allow this aggressive intimidation to continue. Would you sell your future, the safety of your family and the destruction of your land for $10,000?

We cannot continue to allow AusNet to conduct their engagement with contempt towards the community and by being dismissive of the genuine and real impacts and risks associated with this project.

The community has and will remain united against this project (in its current form).

Stay UNITED and continue to show support to our neighbours and save your family, farm, home, business and your environment.

Enjoy time with your family and friends and the beautiful countryside we live in.