By Peter Sanders

Copyright abc

Communities and landholders in northern NSW have been left “astonished” by a major change to a proposed transmission line route for the New England renewable energy zone (REZ).

The planned route has been widened from one kilometre to three, with transmission lines running east of Nundle, outside the Tamworth Regional Council area and into Walcha Shire.

The original route, revealed in March last year, started in Muswellbrook, ran west of Nundle, past Chaffey Dam and through the Tamworth area before terminating near Walcha.

Once operating, the REZ is expected to provide an extra 8,000 megawatts of electricity to the market.

Grazier Bruce Rutherford was planning to sell his property before EnergyCo changed the corridor.

He said valuers estimated his land could lose up to 50 per cent of its worth if the transmission lines went ahead.

“The land up here makes anywhere from $4,000 to $7,000 an acre [0.4 hectares],” he said.

“It’s uncertainty that could go on for another four or five years.”

Grazier Anna Young and her husband bought their property, just outside of Walcha, in May.

She said there was no indication EnergyCo was considering transmission lines through her property before this week.

“We only found out when two people from EnergyCo came to the property, got my husband out of a tractor and said there are going to be transmission lines running through a big part of the property,” she said.

“We’re only 800 acres [324 hectares] and this will take up a large section of that.

Walcha Mayor Eric Noakes said he was disappointed and astonished when told about the revision on Wednesday afternoon.

“There’ve been rumours about it for a long time … but, as a community, we haven’t been involved in these discussions,” he said.

“There’ve been discussions about shifting it out of other areas, but no great discussion with anyone in Walcha, either council or landholders, about where it could go.”

Cr Noakes said the council would now be seeking compensation from EnergyCo for landholders potentially affected.

“It could be up to 30 per cent decrease in land prices because people can’t sell their farm,” he said.

“Also, on a broader scale, [we want] compensation for the community, money to improve our roads and some legacy of out of these power lines.”

Consultation coming

EnergyCo said the revision was partially reflective of community feedback and took into account impacts to local roads, the environment and bushfire management.

Deputy project director Julian Watson said the company now wanted to hear from the community about the new corridor proposal.

“It’s unavoidable that there are impacts to private landowners. We really recognise the challenge that poses,” he said.

“While there’s more people we need to talk to on a 3-kilometre corridor, it does mean that we’re more able to take on board that feedback from landowners and from communities to get the best route overall for the final line of the transmission corridor.”

EnergyCo will hold information sessions in the region this month.