Down on the wire- Cardinia Shire councillors have unanimously opposed the State Government’s p

By Melissa Grant
PLANNING Minister Justin Madden has delivered a big blow to Gippsland farmers by approving the Wonthaggi Desalination Plant but failing to make a ruling on its power source.
Consortiums bidding for the multi-billion dollar project will more than likely decide whether powerlines are built above or below ground.
The Cardinia Shire has spent $200,000 fighting the proposal and its councillors remain adamant that any powerlines be put underground after Mr Madden all but ruled out an alternative power source.
Cora Lynn potato grower Col Hobson said he was surprised the State Government’s preference was still for overhead high-voltage lines.
“At the moment they are taking a hiding from the country with every project that’s going on,” he said.
“I thought undergrounding would be an option that they would have been grabbing with both hands.”
Cardinia Shire mayor Bill Pearson said while it was disappointing Mr Madden had not excluded overhead powerlines, he had at least left the door open for an underground option.
Mr Madden said there was no compelling case for a gas-fired power station to be used as an alternative to a power grid connection and was unlikely to meet the delivery of the desalination plant.
He also ruled that the investigation corridor – which runs through the Cardinia Shire’s east – was generally suitable for powerlines and added that the proponent or bidders would consider opportunities to reduce impacts on landscape and visual amenity.
But time constraints could prevent any changes.
“While the option of adopting a new alignment outside the EES (Environmental Effects Statement) investigation corridor to reduce the overall level of visual and other environmental impacts is available to the PPP (Private Public Partnership) bidders, this would both affect a new group of stakeholders and involve further challenges for project delivery (2011),” Mr Madden’s report released last Friday read.
Power Grid Option Group chairman Alan Fraser said his group and the Cardinia Shire Council were doing all they could to ensure the powerlines were put underground.
“The fact that underground hasn’t been ruled out is indicative of the work that we’ve been doing,” he said.
The State Government has estimated that putting the lines underground would cost $530 million – more than twice the $220 million price tag for overhead powerlines.
An independent assessment, which was detailed in the Cardinia Shire Council’s submission, predicted the economic impact on agriculture in Cardinia to be $152 million over 30 years, including a $139 million loss in the horticulture industry if overhead powerlines were installed.
The Wonthaggi Desalination Plant Project is subject to several more approvals, including consent from Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings and a final sign-off from Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett.