Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan has again criticised EnergyCo for their lack of proper consultation following their plan to re-route the transmission corridor from Bayswater to Walcha.
At 6am on Thursday morning, EnergyCo announced a new three-kilometre-wide corridor in their latest study for their transmission line which will run between the Bayswater Power Station at Muswellbrook and the central south hub near Walcha.
The new “study area” will see the corridor stray from the previous path that was to run alongside the New England Highway and then east of Tamworth, now to a path further east which will impact landowners through the Hunter, Upper Hunter, and New England.
Mr Moylan said this new approach is clearly designed to save the NSW Government money at the expense of landowners and regional communities.
“Yet again EnergyCo have failed to properly engage with landowners, communities and local MPs, including myself, from the impacted areas,” Mr Moylan said.
“EnergyCo have apparently been working on this for five years and then suddenly, they announce major changes on the eve of a long weekend to try and bury their policy on the run approach.
“There has been a complete lack of consultation, no planning and they haven’t told anyone. I know one farmer from Walcha who is now impacted by the proposed route was only contacted by EnergyCo on Wednesday afternoon. This is a disgrace.
“EnergyCo and the NSW Government prefer liaising via press releases, as opposed to engaging meaningfully with our impacted landowners and communities, and this is why people are losing faith. Any good will that EnergyCo may have once had is starting to evaporate.
“EnergyCo have announced they will be holding a handful of 4-hour information sessions post their plans being released but that is just too little, too late.
“I encourage all landowners who are potentially impacted by this new transmission path to contact my electorate office.”
Media Release: Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan
