17 January 2022

HumeLink and Tarago incinerator projects on agenda as Wendy Tuckerman meets energy commissioner

| Max O'Driscoll
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Rural powerlines

Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman recently held a meeting with Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Andrew Dyer to discuss issues with regional energy projects, including HumeLink. Photo: Jen Dumbrell.

NSW Minister for Local Government and Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman recently held a meeting with Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Andrew Dyer.

At the meeting, she aired several concerns raised by the community regarding the planning around energy projects within her electorate, including the Tarago waste-to-energy facility and the HumeLink project.

In the case of the Tarago project, would-be nearby residents of the facility harbour significant fears regarding the impact on their health and overall quality of life should the project go ahead.

Ms Tuckerman recently spoke out against the project after a NSW Chief Scientist’s report argued the need for avoiding the facility’s proximity to food production.

She said that with the precinct surrounded by “fertile agricultural land, producing grain and livestock”, it would not be viable and that she would “never support any project that cannot guarantee the health and safety of my community or the environment”.

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For the HumeLink project – a new 500kV transmission line that will connect Wagga Wagga, Bannaby and Maragle as part of the Federal Government’s Snowy Hydro 2.0 project – landowners along the proposed route are frustrated by the planning and communication surrounding the project. In particular, the avoidance of what they consider the more direct route through public land.

Ms Tuckerman said the conversations on both projects, and other energy projects in the region, were “productive”.

“I have been vocal in my strong opposition to waste-to-energy projects in the Goulburn electorate,” she said.

“In addition, I also share the concerns of residents and communities which will be impacted by the proposed HumeLink project.

“There are also countless issues that constituents and councils have brought to me with regard to current and proposed wind and solar projects.

READ MORE Wendy Tuckerman joins fight to stop Tarago incinerator project, now attention shifts to Angus Taylor

“Mr Dyer has a wealth of experience in dealing with these matters. I discussed the meeting I had with the Minister for Energy and the need to better define the processes and guidelines around these projects.

“But the main reason for his visit was to meet with residents regarding the HumeLink project.

“These companies need to understand that a social licence is extremely important.

“I am certainly supportive of renewable energy and there are companies delivering agreed outcomes for communities, the environment and rural lifestyle.

“Residents need to be heard and genuinely consulted.”

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Christine Hughes5:50 pm 17 Jan 22

Transgrid has been devious and difficult from the beginning when they produced a map which they sent to everyone that was at least 20 years or more old. It showed few houses and an empty landscape over which they proposed power lines. That landscape is now the home of many more people seeking a quiet country life, not 65 metre power lines that emit a dangerous electro magnetic field and seriously impact farming businesses along the way. They point blank refused to consider putting the lines underground which is the preferred option in the rest of the world and has almost no impact on the country side. They are proposing to ruin an area of great natural beauty, productive country, a food basket for the world and should be stopped. The 430 farms they are crossing will be devalued by 30% to 50% as no one wants to live under a huge power line as high as the harbour bridge. Is this to be the price of progress?

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