What We Want As A Solution
Underground, down the Western Highway
Piss Off Ausnet supports renewable energy and wants green energy generated in Western Victoria and to be connected to the rest of the state.
BUT green energy shouldn’t come at the cost to our natural environment! Overhead powerlines are unsafe, inefficient and will destroy our precious landscape.
As we have seen in recent weeks with the massive storms across our state, overhead powerlines fail when put under such stress. Strong winds, storms, fires… all cause massive infrastructure failures.
We want our politicians to stand up for our environment and our rich agricultural areas and PUT THE POWERLINES UNDERGROUND and down the Western Highway!
Federal Member For Ballarat Catherine King (now Infrastructure Minister), State Mp Michaela Settle, and former State Member for Ripon Louise Staley have both come out in support of Pissoffausnet and back the move for Down the Western Highway Underground.
During the State election camapign and once elected new Labor Member for Ripon Martha Haylett has been vocal in her opposition to the project too.
Underground transmission might be more expensive to install, but it’s safer and more efficient. And it is proven to be of equal cost over the life of the project.
Why not build something better for future generations, whilst protect the food bowl of the central highlands.
Despite these facts, communities from the Ararat region to Sydenham have been told there’s no other way – that AusNet’s massive towers and giant terminal station are the only solution.
60 Acre 12 x the MCG Terminal Station on a waterway with natural springs!!!
Stephanie Mcgregor's Terminal Hell
60 Acre Terminal Station 12 x the MCG
Stephanie McGregor and Ausnet want to site the largest piece of electrical infrastructure in Southern Australia in a prisitne rural setting. The site for the Terminal Station is right next to a waterway with natural springs and at the base of a scoria cone. In winter the scoria fills up with rainfall and then discharges across the site to fill the runoff that is captured in the waterways creek. This creek fills Hepburn’s Lagoon and then flows on to fill Tullaroop Reservoir for Maryborough’s drinking supply.
The damage to the ecosystem from toxins running into the waterway would be catastrophic.
Mount Prospect Site
The Mount Prospect site is home to some of the richest volcanic soil in Australia. This region is a key producer of potatoes, lamb and beef. The Mount Prospect district is also home to numerous environmentally sustainable agricultural businesses.
The siting of this terminal station puts these business at risk of closure.
Some of the wrolds best potatos, beef, lamb, wheat and canola to name just some are grown in this region.
Stephanie McGregor and Ausnet don’t know how to handle potato farming. They have thrown their Working With Easements Booklet out the window!
They don’t realize that irrigation infrastructure such as the centre pivot in the above video will be rendered useless if transmission lines past through the paddock. The Equipment to harvest potatoes will be unable to be used due to the height of the machinery. McCain Foods is on record stating 1000 hectares of production will be lost. The flow on affect to Ballarat and surrounding towns like Daylesford and Creswick will be catastrophic.
Harvesting crops is an important part of agriculture in the region and large headers will not be able to work in or around the transmission lines. Ausnet again hasn’t considered the impact of their project upon this industry also.