Kingston & District Power Alliance

09/08/2026

05/07/2026

Community Rally Against AusNet’s Plan

Sunday 2 August 11am to 12.30pm

Kingston, Friends of the Avenue Inc invite the whole district to join us in protesting AusNet’s plan to use the Avenue of Honour as their industrial-scale transport route.

We want a guarantee that the road will not be widened and AusNet won’t be given permission to use the Avenue of Honour at Kingston for construction traffic. For decades, the local community has worked to honour the dignity of the Avenue. It’s not just a road. It’s a war memorial for those who served in World War I. The heritage landscape is one of the district’s most beautiful landmarks.

Kingston, Friends of the Avenue Inc demand protection for the magnificent Avenue of Honour which provides remembrance, healing and a strong sense of belonging for the local community. The RSL have expressed their support for our position.

Please bring your family, friends and neighbours and join us at 11am on Sunday 2 August 2026. Gather at the Midland Highway end of the Avenue of Honour.

01/07/2026

PEAK HOUR ON MIDLAND HIGHWAY – WESTERN RENEWABLES LINK TRAFFIC IMPACT

AusNet claims that WRL would have a minor impact on road users in Hepburn.

AusNet provided their prediction for rush hour on the Midland Highway (A300) to the Inquiry & Advisory Committee for the EES.

There’s a table in the Transport Impact Assessment with predictions for these sections of Midland Highway:

Ballarat-Daylesford Road to Kingston Road
Newlyn Reservoir to Tower Site
Dean-Newlyn Road to Newlyn Reservoir Road

For example, AusNet estimates the additional traffic generated by WRL during peak hour on the Midland Highway between Ballarat-Daylesford Road to Kingston Road would be:

ONE light vehicle
ONE heavy vehicle

AusNet says “impacts will be minimized through heavy haulage outside of peak periods” and “therefore the impact of traffic generated by the Project during the construction stage on traffic performance is expected to be negligible”.

AusNet is planning to work 11-hour days so the bulk of WRL Project traffic would happen in the other 10 hours (outside of peak hour). However, there’s no info provided in the Transport Impact Assessment about AusNet’s prediction for the other 10 hours. The information is limited to peak hour when AusNet say they would be minimizing their traffic.

Source: EES Technical Report P: Transport Impact Assessment page 153 to 155

29/06/2026

WESTERN RENEWABLES LINK - IMPACT ON ROADS & BRIDGES IN NORTHERN GRAMPIANS

The Victorian Minister for Planning is sitting on the EES Report for Western Renewables Link. This Report needs to be released before the State election so we know the decision. It will directly affect the outcome in the seat of Lowan (Emma Keally NATS) and the highly margin seat of Ripon (Martha Haylett MP LABOR).

AusNet is seeking a permit for a Construction Transport Route that impacts five local roads in the Northern Grampians Shire:

Curries Lane
Joel Joel Road
Joel South Road
Shays Flat Road
Vances Crossing Road

During the Western Renewables Link Inquiry, AusNet rejected or dismissed most of the concerns raised by the Councils, including the Northern Grampians Shire.

The Northern Grampians Council has found itself at the centre of Victoria's two largest electricity transmission projects: Western Renewables Link (WRL) and VNI West. The Council told the Inquiry that “in the face of the scale of this change, we were expecting genuine engagement” but “instead the proponent’s and the State’s disregard for NGSC’s interests has become increasingly apparent throughout the Inquiry”.

The scale of energy development already occurring within the Shire is huge. Western Renewables Link includes 13 kilometres of new 500 kV transmission line running from the existing Bulgana Terminal Station parallel to the existing 220 kV transmission line between Bulgana and Waubra. In addition, there are 12 renewable energy projects within NGSC that are already operating or planned, including the Joel Joel Battery Energy Storage System and the Watta Wella Wind Farm and Battery.

The Council told the WRL Inquiry:

“Our concerns are informed by direct experience with other energy projects constructed within our Shire. In those projects, inadequate planning for road impacts resulted in serious and costly consequences. Despite having a traffic management plan in place - residents in the vicinity of unsealed construction routes experienced contamination of their drinking water supplies, with dust stirred up by heavy vehicles settling in rainwater tanks to such an extent that the water could no longer be used for drinking or laundry.

Elsewhere, sealed roads deteriorated rapidly due to the intensity of construction traffic, eventually becoming unsafe or unusable for the community. Culverts were damaged, in some cases leaving large holes that created hazards for road users. In another instance, the condition of existing bridges had not been properly documented, leading the contractor to undertake strengthening works that were inadequate.

Traffic behaviour during these projects further exacerbated risks to the community. Council staff and residents observed construction vehicles failing to comply with traffic management measures, including ignoring stop signs and failing to adhere to red light signals at temporary roadworks. There were reports of trucks travelling down the centre of narrow rural roads and forcing other vehicles off the carriageway.

In other cases, contractors used roads that were not part of the approved traffic management plan. Unsealed roads were often insufficiently graded, leaving them in a condition that could not be safely used by standard two-wheel-drive vehicles. Although contractors acknowledged many of these issues and attempted corrective actions, the same problems occurred repeatedly throughout construction, demonstrating that the mitigation measures employed were inadequate and that underlying risks had not been appropriately addressed.

From this experience it is clear that the road network in our Shire is highly vulnerable to the pressures generated by large infrastructure projects, many of which are underway due to the energy transition. Mitigating measures applied during construction have proven ineffective, and once damage occurs, the cost to rectify it is disproportionately borne by the community and our council. When multiple major projects operate concurrently or sequentially within the same area, as is increasingly the case in Northern Grampians, it becomes almost impossible to attribute damage to any one proponent. In the case of the WRL project, the EES traffic assessment fails to address these realities.”

These are not just hypothetical concerns: contaminated drinking water, dangerous roads and costs for damage left with the ratepayer.

22/06/2026

BET WE'RE PAYING FOR THAT

Western Renewables Link is promoting millions of dollars in community benefits.

There’s money on offer for fire brigades, money for landcare, money for footy clubs and the list goes on. There’s no question that community groups need funds.

But who's paying? We’re calling for full transparency to understand who is funding these payments. The information is not publicly available.

Are these gifts that are funded by the generosity of AusNet’s shareholders?

Is it correct to assume that AusNet intends to pass the donation back to Victorian electricity consumers through higher network charges and power bills? If so, is there an AusNet profit margin loaded on top and how much is that profit margin? And what about the AusNet costs for the feel-good PR videos and AusNet management time?

If AusNet makes a $200,000 donation to a community group, what will that donation actually cost the consumer?

The community benefit funding seems to be a VicGrid requirement that’s been imposed on developers. If so, the Victorian Auditor General’s Office is entitled to look at these questions.

An urgent VAGO review of value for money, economy, effectiveness and transparency would be welcome on all Victorian transmission projects, not just WRL.

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❓