Nationals Member for Tamworth, Kevin Anderson, said EnergyCo has ignored the voice of communities in the Tamworth electorate by ruling out a common-sense proposal to shift its transmission project onto public land.
Mr Anderson said the EnergyCo decision to rule out the Aberbaldie stock route for its transmission project has been met with strong community opposition and outrage from affected residents.
“Common sense dictates that the government-built project should sit on government owned land wherever possible, but instead the government department are planning to bulldoze their way through private land,” Mr Andersons said.
“Farmers and property owners along the current route have invested significantly in their businesses, capitalising on the stunning beauty of the landscape and the productive land in the area.
“The decision to run transmission lines and towers through those properties is shocking, particularly when the community has worked incredibly hard to highlight the common-sense route on public land.”
Mr Anderson said the community has spent countless hours trying to convince EnergyCo of the sensible alternate route, but EnergyCo has completely disregarded the community’s wishes.
Mr Anderson has written to the Minister for Planning and the Minister for Energy expressing his disgust at the complete disregard of the alternate route.
“I’m calling on the government to intervene and work with the local community on a common-sense solution using public land,” he said.
