CLAIMS by Transmission Company Victoria that houses would be demolished around Bendigo and Ballarat under the Plan B alternative to VNI West were based on its observations.
TCV was unable to quantify the demolition scenario after its quick response to last Wednesday’s release of Plan B by Professor Bruce Mountain, Simon Bartlett and Darren Edwards at the Victorian Energy Policy Centre.
The Plan B report advocates ditching VNI West and Western Renewables Link, instead upgrading and extending lines on existing easements and saving an estimated $5 billion in energy transmission transition projects.
TCV said: “The statement that the implementation of Plan B would likely require the demolition of homes is based on the observation of the proximity of existing transmission to homes on the outskirts of Ballarat and Bendigo. 
“VEPC and Darren Edwards are better positioned to comment further in regards to their assessments re the assessed impacts of Plan B,” the spokesperson said.
AEMO attended the launch of Plan B. The spokeperson said AEMO “offered to provide a response but was not called upon”.
Professor Mountain has since said: “We are aware of 14 homes in the outer Ballarat suburb of Mount Helen that have been built within five metres of the southern side of the easement for a distance of 400 metres with the closest house 10 metres from the existing Wemen to Ballarat    line. There is sufficient room on the northern side of the easement to widen the easement on that side”.
“Our report provides the detail to support our conclusions that Plan B would have significantly lower impact on landholders,    regional    and rural communities and the renewable generation investment required to give    consumers reliable and affordable power supply than VNI-West.”