Hepburn Shire Council has launched a scathing critique of AusNet’s formal application to compulsorily acquire land for the Western Renewables Link (WRL), a move that would bypass the completion of the project’s Environmental Effects Statement (EES).

The move, enabled by recent Victorian Government legislation, allows energy companies to secure private land for transmission lines before critical environmental assessments are finalized. If granted, AusNet would be positioned to heavily advance the WRL project before a single official finding on its environmental impact is handed down.

“A Tick the Box Exercise”

Mayor Cr Tony Clark described the application as a “terrible move” and an “insult” to the community members and experts who have spent years contributing to the EES process.

“If the Victorian Government grants AusNet compulsory acquisition powers before the outcome of the EES, landholders and community are not only disrespected, but it also questions the EES process,” Cr Clark said.

The Mayor further revealed that AusNet has been urging local landowners to sign voluntary agreements by the end of September, even as they lobby the government for additional powers to seize land.

“The move has left many of us and our community feeling that the EES process is a tick the box exercise designed to distract while AusNet makes calculated moves to advance the project,” he said.

AusNet position

AusNet maintains that its primary goal is to reach voluntary commercial arrangements with landowners. It has said that their preferred approach is the Option for Easement—a voluntary agreement that provides landowners with commercial compensation and certainty before the project begins. They argue this process offers more flexibility for landholders to negotiate specific access protocols and farm-management requirements compared to the rigid statutory process of compulsory acquisition.

A Five-Year Fight

Council has maintained a stance of opposition to the project since its inception.

In a comprehensive submission concluded in December, Council presented expert evidence across several critical sectors, including:

  • Tourism and Land Values: Potential economic impacts on the region’s brand.
  • Biodiversity and Habitat: Risks to local flora and fauna.
  • Public Safety: Extensive concerns regarding bushfire risk and road infrastructure.
  • Community Wellbeing: The ongoing mental health toll on impacted residents.

A Call for Respect

While Council has stated it will heed the final decision of the Minister for Planning and the WRL Advisory Committee, it is demanding that AusNet, VicGrid, and the State Government show the same level of respect for the established process.

Council is now calling on the Victorian Government to freeze any decision on compulsory acquisition powers until the EES decision is officially handed down, ensuring that environmental and community concerns are given legal priority over corporate advancement.

Coalition will review the transmission lines if elected

The Coalition has announced that it will pause and review the transmission lines if it is elected in November. The shadow minister for agriculture Emma Kealy has, however, indicated that it is impossible to make a decision about whether or not to proceed with the project without being in government.