Victorian premier stalls $1.5bn renewable transmission line pending election review

Victoria’s Western Renewables Link, a $1.5 billion transmission corridor linking regional renewable generators to Melbourne, has been put on hold as Premier Ben Carroll orders a pause on compulsory land acquisitions until next year. He also tasked an independent body with assessing the line’s total costs to ensure value for rate-payers, promising a public report by the end of the year. The project, managed by Ausnet, is currently undergoing an environmental effects statement review and has faced opposition from western farmers who claim the route and tower heights will disrupt farming.

Compensation offers ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars have not quelled community campaigns. The line runs through several key Labor marginal seats, prompting MPs Steve McGhie, Martha Haylett and Michaela Settle to lobby for greater transparency. Opposition parties, including the Coalition and One Nation, have pledged to pause or cancel related projects, making the transmission line a focal point of the upcoming election.