Nationals Member for Northern Tablelands, Brendan Moylan, has again criticised EnergyCo for its lack of proper consultation following its announcement to re-route the transmission corridor from Bayswater to Walcha.
At 6 o'clock this morning, EnergyCo – in its latest study for the transmission line which will run between the Bayswater Power Station at Muswellbrook and the central south hub near Walcha – announced a new three-kilometre-wide corridor.
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, 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."
Mr Moylan said 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. He said any goodwill 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."
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