Planning is underway as we work together to unlock Western Victoria’s renewable energy to grow businesses and communities for the region.

Starting 30 September, AusNet Services is hosting a series of informal, face-to-face, drop-in sessions for local communities in the project area of interest to seek feedback, listen to concerns and answer questions. Come along and meet the team any time between 2.00pm – 6.30pm at the below locations. We look forward to meeting you.

• Stawell – Wednesday 30 September 2.00pm – 6.30pm, Stawell Bowling Club, 5-7 Napier St, Stawell
• Beaufort – Thursday 1 October 2.00pm – 6.30pm, Beaufort Football Club, 39 Park St, Beaufort
• Ballarat – Tuesday 6 October 2.00pm – 6.30pm, CE Brown Reserve, Dowling St, Wendouree
• Creswick – Thursday 8 October 2.00pm – 6.30pm, Mount Prospect Tennis Club, 35 Bridge St, Creswick
• Gordon – Wednesday 14 October 2.00pm – 6.30pm, Gordon Recreation Reserve, 18 Willunga Ave, Gordon
• Ballan – Thursday 15 October 2.00pm – 6.30pm, Ballan Football Club, Atkinson/Cowie St, Ballan
• Darley – Wednesday 21 October and Thursday 22 October, 2.00pm – 6.30pm, Darley Park Sports Club Cnr Grey and Fitzroy St, Darley
• Melton Tuesday 27 October and Thursday 29 October, 2.00pm – 6.30pm, Melton South Football Club, Reserve Road, Melton *PENDING Covid-19 restrictions easing

The safety of our staff and the community is our top priority, all sessions will have a Covid-19 Safe plan in place. If any of the above drop-in sessions need to be cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, we will inform you via an e-update and on the website.

For further information, including a map of the area of interest and details for contacting the Western Victorian Transmission Network Project team, head to www.westvictnp.com.au

The Western Victoria Transmission Network Project team is listening to your concerns about bushfires and we are committed to addressing these and other topics through regular updates, community forums and direct engagement.

The input you are providing by mapping areas that are important to you is helping the project team to narrow the corridor for the new transmission infrastructure.

AusNet Services actively monitors our assets and fires from our control room. We work closely with Emergency Management Victoria who would advise us to turn the power off for safety reasons if needed in an emergency.

We also have a rigorous regulatory vegetation management program eliminating vegetation fuel loads in our easements, which are wide enough to ensure that if a tree were to fall, it would not be able to reach the towers.

In the 96-year history of the Transmission Network in Victoria it has never been the cause of a bushfire. We regularly patrol and maintain transmission easements which can offer important protections by acting as a fire break.

More recently, the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission found transmission networks have never started a bushfire.

We encourage you to get in touch with the project team if you would like more information. A new fact sheet outlining the approach taken to reduce fire risk is also now available at: https://www.westvictnp.com.au/62122/widgets/312640/documents/183865.

You can also call 9021 0674 or email info@westvictnp.com.au.

In addition to our engagement, the recently announced Environment Effects Statement (EES) process will also provide for a transparent, integrated assessment of potential environmental impacts, including bushfires. This independent process which is managed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DWELP).

Environment Effects Statement process is set to begin for the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project.

AusNet Services has welcomed the decision by the Victorian Minister for Planning that an Environment Effects Statement (EES) is required for the Western Victorian Transmission Network Project.

An EES is an environmental impact assessment process that provides an important opportunity for consideration of a range of potential environmental impacts. These environmental factors include the physical, biological, heritage, cultural, social, health, safety and economic aspects of the environment, and the wider ecological and physical systems in which people live.

An EES is the most robust environmental impact assessment process a project can undergo in Victoria and provides important opportunities for community input and the consideration of a range of potential environmental impacts.

In addition, the EES provides for the analysis of potential effects on environment and how we are proposing to avoid, minimise and manage any adverse impacts. This process will help us strike the right balance between minimising impact to the local environment while unlocking renewable energy sources and major economic investment in western Victoria. Further information and next steps on the EES process including opportunities for community input will soon be on our website.

Despite Covid-19 impacting on face-to-face engagement, the project is committed to ongoing consultation and appreciate that the community has adjusted to the online environment in these challenging times.

Our online mapping tool has so far elicited more than 2,000 interactions, providing valuable information to the project. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed and taken time to share their local knowledge at this critical time in the development of the project.

If you, or anyone you know in your community, would like support using these online tools, or if you would prefer to share your feedback over the phone, please call our project hotline 9021 0674.

In addition to the EES decision, an Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) referral for this project has also been lodged. You also have an opportunity to provide comment on this referral process.

The EPBC referral can be found at http://epbcnotices.environment.gov.au/referralslist/

Information on how to make a public comment on the EPBC referral can be found at http://epbcnotices.environment.gov.au/

Over the past week, hundreds of people have joined us on the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project, Question and Answer Webinars.

We would like to thank all of you for your time and effort to attend these information sessions. Our panel of project specialists have responded to many of your questions. Topics covered have included:

• Route selection
• health and land compensation
• impact management
• engineering.

Your contributions have been very useful for the project team to better understand your concerns.

To finalise this current round of Question and Answer Webinars, we would now like to hear directly from you.

We are inviting you to send us a short video question. On 16 July, 6 - 8 pm Thursday night during our Final Webinar: we will broadcast the video questions and seek a response from the panel.

To find out more and how to post a video question, visit > https://www.westvictnp.com.au/get-involved

Note, we will also be accepting questions via email info@westvictnp.com.au and on the night using the Q&A function in Zoom.

Thank you for your interest and we look forward to seeing and hearing from you

Thank you to everyone who has contacted us and provided feedback via our website so far. We’ve had over 600 pins placed on our interactive map which is helping us to understand more about what is important to you in your local area.

We’ve updated our website with more information, including:

• how the preferred project corridor will be identified within our area of interest
• the process for engaging with potentially affected landowners
• details regarding six online sessions where you can meet the project team and have an opportunity to ask questions about the project.

Feedback on the project area of interest

The project area of interest is a broad geographical area which we are currently investigating to understand existing constraints and opportunities to help identify the preferred project corridor.

If you haven’t already, please visit our interactive map which shows the project area of interest. Drop a pin on the map to highlight places that you know are unique, special or valued in your area.

The route and location of the new infrastructure, including transmission line towers and a terminal station, will consider the community feedback and detailed environmental assessments occurring now until mid-2021.

For more information, read our fact sheet on out how a final project route will be determined.

Investing in a clean energy future

Western Victoria is emerging as an important renewable energy generation region. The current energy transmission network needs upgrading to share this renewable energy with all Victorians.

The Western Victoria Transmission Network Project will add a new link to the network making this possible. The project will involve major economic investment in western Victoria, creating new jobs during and after construction, as well as support Victoria's move towards a cleaner energy future.

Read more about why this project is needed and the benefits it will bring to Victoria.

Welcome to the first update on the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project.

Western Victoria is emerging as an important renewable energy-generation region.

The resulting challenge we all face is the existing transmission infrastructure, through which this increasing amount of renewable power can travel, is not adequate. It’s a challenge that, with your understanding and involvement, the Western Victoria Transmission Network Project is rising to meet.

As we work to deliver this critical piece of infrastructure, we are committed to keeping you informed of progress throughout and just as importantly, to hearing directly from you.

The first piece of news we’re keen to share with you is that our project website www.westvictnp.com.au is now live. Visit the website to find out more about the project and complete a simple survey to help us understand your engagement and communication preferences.

We had hoped to be meeting with you in person by now to discuss the project as well as planning and environmental matters, however social distancing requirements brought about by COVID-19 circumstances have of course altered those plans.

We have now moved our engagement to an online model but are conscious that not everyone has ready access to the internet and our digital platforms, so we also have telephone and alternative engagement channels available.

In addition to working with you through the engagement channels available, we’re also maintaining our focus on the environment and respecting both cultural and historic heritage. We’re engaging with indigenous and heritage stakeholders and will share the outcomes from those conversations with you in future updates.

Your input is vital to the project. We want to understand what is important to you; this will help us to maximise potential community benefits as well as identify and minimise potential project impacts.

We will continue to follow directives from the Victorian Chief Health Officer in relation to COVID-19 and would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families well in this challenging time.

We are looking forward to working with you to achieve this important infrastructure project that will involve major economic investment in western Victoria, creating new jobs during and after construction, as well as supporting Victoria's move towards a cleaner energy future.