General News
9 January, 2024
BREAKING NEWS: Land bought for VNI West transmission station
A TERMINAL station for the controversial VNI West could be built at Tragowel, Transmission Company Victoria has announced this morning. The project will see a renewable energy transmission line built from near Stawell, through the northern parts of...
A TERMINAL station for the controversial VNI West couldbe built at Tragowel, Transmission Company Victoria has announced this morning.
The project will see a renewable energy transmission line built from near Stawell, through the northern parts of the Loddon Shire to Kerang.
The announcement comes as federal opposition frontbencher Dan Tehan slammed Labor’s energy plans as a "complete disaster" following the Federal Government’s decision to veto an offshore wind strategy critical to Victoria’s green energy targets.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek ruled against the project due to the “clearly unacceptable” risks its construction posed to nearby wetlands of “international importance,”
In a statement, the Australian Energy Market Operator's project business Transmission Company Victoria said:
Transmission Company Victoriahas signed an unconditional contract of sale for a property located near Tragowel, approximately 12kmsouth of Kerang.
Subject to planning and environmental approvals, the 360-hectare site is proposed as the location for a new terminal station required as part of the VNI West transmission project. VNI West is a project to build a new transmission line between Victoria and New South Wales.
It will harness clean, low-cost electricity from renewable energy zones (REZs) in both states and improve the reliability and security of electricity supply as our ageing coal-fired power stations retire. Construction on this site cannot commence until all appropriate environmental and planning approvals are obtained, and would not begin before 2026.
The land purchase does not pre-empt the location of the final easement for the transmission line, which will be determined through the planning and assessment processes and in consultation with landholders, farmers, Traditional Owners and communities.
TCV is committed to minimising the impacts of the proposed terminal station and will work closely with near neighbours and the local community through the planning and approvals process. We have made it a priority to notify neighbours and local landholders of the land purchase and TCV will hold further information sessions in the area to talk to the local community and answer their questions.
This type of infrastructure is common across Victoria, with 61 terminal stations currently in operation, including several of a similar size, such as a terminal located in Moorabool.
The proposed Tragowel terminal station is yet to be designed but the initial footprint is likely to be less than 20% of the available land, with dimensions around 300m x 800m leaving considerable areas of open space.
A broad range of environmental and technical assessments will be conducted through the planning and project assessment phase, commencing later this year. If through this process the property is deemed to be an unsuitable location for the terminal station, the site can be sold