“Green” energy also needs green transmission to be sustainable
The new Federal Government commitment to help fund the $3.8bn Marinus Link which includes 90 kilometres of cable running underground in Victoria, needs to be matched in NSW to save endangered species and communities threatened by the massive HumeLink project.
An urgent funding commitment is needed now to ensure that energy generated in NSW by projects like Snowy 2.0 is truly “green” and not tarnished by large-scale, unsustainable habitat destruction and clear felling to make way for huge new, dated tower constructions.
Residents from communities spanning from Wagga to the edge of Sydney, are outraged that the Federal Government is prepared to favour Victoria but do nothing to stop the significant environmental, social and economic impacts of the Humelink aboveground proposal.
Michael Katz, a member of HomeLink Alliance which recently joined with HumeLink Action Group to establish the Stop, Rethink HumeLink Towers campaign, said the Federal Government’s recognition that undergrounding was the way to go for a 90-kilometre stretch of Victoria’s Marinus Link project was a good step forward.
“But we need to see it become the way of all future transmission projects, including HumeLink which is currently planned to see 360km long, 70-metre-wide scar cut through southern NSW, consisting of towers up to 85 metres tall,” he said.
“The reality is that if we are truly committed to delivering green energy, we need that to be looked at end-to-end, and not just think of it in terms of generation.
“Transmission must also have minimal impact of the environment. In the case of HumeLink, replacing trees with 85-metre-high carbon intensive steel poles is not very green in most people’s thinking.”
Mr Katz said the Federal Government needed to look beyond Victoria and announcements that coincide with an upcoming State election, and make sure it distributes the $20bn dollars allocated for the Rewiring the Nation plan to transform Australia’s strained electricity grid sustainably.
“The Marinus Link is a great win for Victoria but this commitment to deliver better and more sustainable transmission needs to extend to all transmission projects.”
“Otherwise the future looks pretty bleak the 2500 hectare of land, spanning from Wagga Wagga and Kosciusko National Park to the edge of the beautiful Southern Highlands, that will be directly impacted by HumeLink,” Mr Katz said.
“Unless they step in TransGrid will bulldoze through old-growth forests and heritage sites which will adversely impact farming communities, see the destruction of threatened flora and fauna habitats, and significantly increases bushfire risk.
“We’re not against the HumeLink development; we want it underground.”
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Media Contact: Michael Katz 0414 271 620
Peter Laidlaw 0419 210 306
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