Kingston & District Power Alliance

17/06/2026

CRESWICK & DISTRICT TRAFFIC IMPACTS – PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION TRANSPORT ROUTE FOR WRL

AusNet proposes diverting WRL construction traffic via Ryries Road to avoid Newlyn Primary School during drop-off and pick-up times.

Anyone familiar with Ryries Road knows the problem. It's very narrow with blind crests. Over Size Over Mass vehicles would take up the entire road. It has a dangerous intersection with Daylesford–Dean Road, 100km traffic and blind spots in both directions. The Ryries Road proposal is a disaster in the making.

Check out the photos and video: https://www.kingstonanddistrictpoweralliance.org/media-links

One issue raised repeatedly by multiple councils during the EES for Western Renewables Link is that there’s no plan to ensure roads are upgraded to a standard that’s fit for purpose. It’s rubbish for AusNet to claim there won’t be any impact on the roads and traffic flow in the Shire of Hepburn.

Similar assurances were given by developers in NSW and local communities are now paying the price - speed restrictions, potholes and road safety problems.

At the 2026 NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the impact of Renewable Energy Zones on local communities, numerous councils told the inquiry that construction traffic is trashing regional roads.

Under the planning conditions for these projects, it is a State government permit requirement that developers carry out ‘before and after construction’ road condition assessments for the roads along the approved Construction Transport Route for the project. However, there’s no requirement for funding from developers to cover the cost of repairs during construction. The same rules apply here in Victoria.

In evidence to the NSW Inquiry, one council representative described the before and after assessment regime as 'totally inadequate', explaining that councils are often required to undertake repeated, urgent maintenance and repairs throughout multi-year construction periods without upfront funding from developers.

This problem is having a direct impact on the councils’ cashflow and ability to deliver normal services to ratepayers. Councils described how they’ve been forced to divert staff and funding from planned council projects to project manage and pay for repairs and maintenance to try to keep roads safe. After paying for this work themselves with ratepayer funds, councils are left chasing the developers to try to get reimbursement. Attempts to persuade developers to enter into voluntary agreements to pay have not been very successful.

What’s happening in NSW shows why we should question the credibility of AusNet’s claims. It’s reasonable to expect that the NSW experience will be repeated here.

We agree with the concerns raised by Hepburn council. We are calling on Martha Haylett MP to speak up on behalf of our community. The Minister for Planning should reject Western Renewables Link.

Media credit 🎥 thanks to Trace Williams and 📸 Lindsay Cooke

Martha Haylett MP
Hepburn Shire Council
Catherine King

12/06/2026

How wonderful is Germany to supply a 700k HVDC UNDERGROUND system!

This is what should be happening in Australia instead of a super highway of antiquated steel towers criss crossing over our countryside.



PROTECT OUR COUNTRYSIDE

Delivering a new 700 kilometer (km) underground cable connection, the $11 billion SuedLink project will help to better integrate renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, into Germany’s electricity grid, and also link with interconnectors to provide cross-border energy resilience. Jacobs wi...

06/06/2026

CRESWICK & DISTRICT – WHAT ABOUT OUR ROADS?

If the Western Renewables Link is approved, local roads will be turned into construction haulage routes.

The practical impact for our community includes damage to the roads and speed restrictions.

Building 500kV transmission towers through Hepburn Shire requires heavy construction traffic, including over-mass and over-size vehicles carrying steel tower components, construction equipment, cranes, concrete and materials.

AusNet is proposing around 45 kilometres of transmission line through Hepburn Shire. The WRL project also includes 155 kilometres of access roads outside the easement, plus access tracks within the easement itself.

According to AusNet's plans, heavy construction traffic would travel on roads including:

Clunes–Creswick Road (C291)
Midland Highway (A300)
Western Freeway (M8)
Ballarat–Daylesford Road (C292)
Ballarat–Maryborough Road (C287)
Creswick–Newstead Road

The Creswick town centre is expected to experience increased heavy vehicle movements during construction. Newlyn Primary School will also be in the firing line.

In Hepburn Shire, AusNet's proposed construction transport network includes 18 local roads, including:

Dean–Mollongghip Road
Dean–Newlyn Road
Ryries Road, Newlyn
Kingston Road

None of these roads were designed for the industrial-scale construction traffic that is proposed and many are not currently approved for heavy vehicle use.

AusNet acknowledges that some roads may require upgrade works because they are too narrow or not strong enough. The project documents show that a lot of roadside vegetation will need to be removed to create sufficient space for over-size vehicles.

Twelve local roads in Hepburn Shire have been identified as requiring additional works to reduce the risk of road degradation due to their narrow width or unsealed surfaces. Some roads may also require widening to accommodate heavy vehicles during emergency or breakdown situations. Dean Reservoir Road is one example. Kingston Road has been identified as presenting safety concerns due to its narrow width.

More info is available in the Western Renewables Link EES Transport Chapter and Technical Reports: https://www.westernrenewableslink.com.au/planning/ees-landing/

04/06/2026

What will our roads 🚧 be like if AusNet get their way and we have hundreds of trucks 🚚🚛 and vehicles 🚘🚙🛻 on our local roads❓

03/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1GfGj75oXM/

31/05/2026

SEE YOU THERE

23/05/2026

21/05/2026

Who is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of AusNet’s so-called “community benefits program” — regional communities or AusNet itself?

Recently, CFA brigades along the proposed Western Renewables Link corridor were invited to apply for funding under AusNet’s “Community Brigades Support Initiative”. There is a list of the eligible Brigades in the slides.

Brigades were told that applications for grants of up to $8,000 must satisfy geographic eligibility requirements and would be assessed internally by WRL.

AusNet says the initiative has been designed to “support operational readiness and improve capacity for CFA volunteers and brigades along the proposed Western Renewables Link (WRL) project route”.

Items eligible for funding include thermal imaging cameras, air conditioning and security alarms.

This raises some uncomfortable questions and plenty of people have contacted KDPA on this topic to express concerns.

Is this the future for underfunded regional communities — going cap in hand to Corporations to ask for money to fund essential fire capability?

Let’s not forget that AusNet has embarked on an aggressive campaign to get powers of compulsory acquisition. This involves an attack on the farms owned by some of the very same volunteers who drive CFA fire trucks and defend local communities during bushfires.

We should also remember that during the EES, AusNet’s lawyers told the Inquiry that Western Renewables Link wouldn’t impact fire risk or constrain firefighting along the WRL corridor.

Those claims were strongly contested by many people, including the Ballarat Group of Fire Brigades and many CFA volunteers. Ballarat City Council, Melton City Council, Hepburn Shire Council and Moorabool Shire Council all lodged detailed submissions challenging AusNet’s position. Hepburn Shire called for the transmission lines to be underground throughout Hepburn to avoid the fire risk.

Shortly after the EES hearing concluded in March 2026, CFA Headquarters acknowledged in writing that “large-scale transmission infrastructure, including towers approximately 80m in height, can present operational constraints for both ground and aerial firefighting. Such infrastructure may limit the safe operation of aircraft and affect fire behaviour by restricting ground crew movement and tactical options.” CFA Headquarters also acknowledged that transmission towers built near roads can create “unique challenges” for firefighters.

There would be genuine community benefit in the Victorian Government and AusNet acknowledging that placing the WRL transmission lines underground is the safest way to go.

16/05/2026

Rally in Bendigo Sunday 14th June

The resentment across the bush is growing.
Regional communities are tired of being ignored while CFA volunteers continue to give everything for their communities and an unfair burden through the Emergency Services Volunteers Fund
(ESVF) tax.
Volunteers, Farmers, Metro and Regional Victorians are asking the same question:
Why are the very communities that protect Victoria being asked to pay more while volunteers continue to fight for proper support?
This is bigger than one issue.
It's about standing up for volunteers, farmers, and all Victorians.
On June 14, we're calling on CFA volunteers, farming communities, Metro and all Regional Victorians to stand with us in Bendigo and send a clear message to Spring St:
SCRAP THE ESVF TAX - WITH YOUR VOTE
Victorians voices matter.
Volunteers deserve better.
And the bush will not stay silent.
Bring your brigade.
Bring your mates.
Bring your voice.
Together, we are stronger.

Tom Flood Sports Oval
10 am for a 11am start