Local community groups have joined forces to fight a 360-kilometre powerline proposal that will clear-fell 2500 hectares of land, including endangered species habitats, significant ecosystems, and productive farms by launching the Stop, Rethink HumeLink campaign.
As part of the campaign, HumeLink Alliance Inc and HumeLink Action Group will increase efforts to urging state and federal governments, to take responsibility for decision making on the transmission project away from Transgrid, which is currently tasked with the project delivery.
Chair of the Alliance Russell Erwin said, decisions about such significant infrastructure projects “should not be made in corporate boardrooms with commercial returns for foreign shareholders.”
“We don’t elect the management of Transgrid to make the best decisions for our future, so they should not be able to determine the way forward for the delivery of the HumeLink transmission line to meet future power needs,” Mr Erwin said.
“It should be our elected officials at both the State and Federal level making such important decisions to ensure the project doesn’t increase the number of species on the vulnerable and endangered list, which was recently called out as a major issue by the Environment Minister.
“They also need to consider the local communities which play an important part in the Agricultural industry and are significant contributors to local employment and the Australian economy.
“In addition to the disruption it would cause to their livelihoods, the proposal would also increase fire risks and impede firefighting efforts in an area which is already prone to bushfires.”
The groups, with support from a panel of experts, have also launched a new campaign website, community advocacy program and are about to embark on a publicity and digital advertising blitz.
The aim of the campaign is to garner support from the wider Australian community who after years of fighting for climate change action, would feel slapped in the face by the proposal that will destroy the environment in order to transmit green energy.
Chair of Tumut based HumeLink Action Group Bill Kingwill said it was clear from recent election results that many Australians expected elected officials to place climate change as a priority and take actions that ensured a sustainable future.
“Those Australians would be absolutely shocked to hear that the delivery of renewable energy will mean the destruction of bushland, replaced by huge pylons of carbon-intensive steel and 19th century technology,” Mr Kingwill said.
“Green energy should not just be about generation but how it is delivered.
“Clear-felling old growth forests, State Forests and other important bushland tracts, directly conflicts with decades of scientific research which demonstrates that vegetation clearance directly contributes to a warming and changing climate.”
Mr Kingwill said that Transgrid had failed to consider community sentiment towards the project and completely disregarded the environmental, bushfire and economic impacts, as evidenced by its response to the recent undergrounding report.
“The investigation failed to take independent advice on the costings, which was almost 50 per cent less than the stated amount in the report, nor did it consider the wider implications,” he said.
“Transgrid are telling anyone who will listen, that their widely exaggerated pricing means that the only option is to run the wires overhead.
“However, we know that the reality is that going underground will in time be more cost effective and minimise the wider environmental, economic and social impacts.”
Mr Erwin said the HumeLink project should be about making sure Australia was seen as the leaders in real green energy, which could only be achieved by ensuring Transgrid delivers best practice transmission.
“While undergrounding these transmission lines is a significant upfront investment, it will deliver immeasurable returns for Australia’s future generations.”
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