Walcha High Country Guardians

31/12/2025

2025 was a year that changed everything for the Walcha region.
From the moment revised transmission lines were announced through our prime agricultural region, our community has shown strength, unity and determination.
We stand firmly with Walcha landowners and farming families to day no to EnergyCo.
Here’s to a 2026 that brings clarity, fairness, and prosperity for all. 🌾
Please share our e-petition to add signatures and help us reach 20,000 in 2026. Link in bio.

22/12/2025

Walcha farmer and engineer Cam breaks down the latest AEMO draft 2026 Integrated System Plan — and the findings are significant.
𝗔𝗘𝗠𝗢 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗘𝗭.

Planning must now catch up with reality. It’s time for EnergyCo and Minister Sharpe to get on board with the evidence. Decisions this big need to be grounded in the latest data.

20/12/2025

Three stops. One united message. Transmission lines don’t belong on prime agricultural land or through highly endangered ecosystems.
Here's what some of the group had to say about Minister Penny Sharpe's short visit to the New England region on Thursday.

19/12/2025

We got some really key messages across during Minister Penny Sharpe’s visit yesterday. What they do with them is up to the Minister’s department now. She promises another visit in the new year as many of our questions have been taken on notice.

Energy Minister Penny Sharpe visits leaves residents seeking answers.

19/12/2025

A brief update about our visit from Penny Sharpe - Minister for the Environment of NSW - yesterday. More updates to come.

This visit mattered. It moved the conversation beyond desktop planning and showed how deeply concerned we are about the impact on our region, our wildlife and our prime ag land. There’s no solution yet, and we remain clear: we don’t want transmission lines across our properties here.

18/12/2025

A step forward today. Minister Sharpe visited the New England REZ and met directly with a small group to hear our concerns and actually see the land and nature that would be affected.

After a frustrating rollout to date, we feel this visit shows some progress has been made 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁.

We’re hopeful the Minister is beginning to understand the real impact on our region and our prime agricultural land - beyond a desktop assessment. We’ve raised serious questions, and the Minister has committed to returning early next year.

We still need to reach 20,000 signatures to take the matter into Parliament - please share this with at least one person to add their name and let us be heard:
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/pages/epetition-details.aspx?q=jz_sF2FRsWHj_36lRBvdcw

17/12/2025

Farmers think in generations, not election cycles. Decisions made today should leave our country, communities and native species in better shape - not worse.
Our goal is simple: to pass on healthy land that can keep feeding Australia. This transmission line rollout puts that at risk.

Thanks David Pocock for articulating this so clearly: “We need bigger changes to ensure we hand thriving ecosystems on this continent to future generations.”

14/12/2025

How is this 'protecting our native wildlife'?
A new protection zone for endangered wildlife is being built in our New England area… meanwhile the newly proposed transmission route cuts through 𝟭𝟯𝗸𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗦 - 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗸𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁 - and a previous study of a near-identical corridor last year stated this route has "the greatest number of threatened flora and fauna".
You can’t call it wildlife protection while destroying what you're claiming to protect.

13/12/2025

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱: October 2025
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Mid-2026
𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗘𝗜𝗦) 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲: Second half of 2026

They’re planning the route before completing the necessary studies. We deserve proper research before permanent damage is done to our region.

We have a matter that must be taken to Parliament, but we can only get there with your voice. NSW friends, please sign the official e-petition and share it with just one other person:
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/la/pages/epetition-details.aspx?q=jz_sF2FRsWHj_36lRBvdcw

12/12/2025

Deemed a prime agricultural region, our greater area produces 22% of NSW’s beef. Now we're in the firing line for the transmission towers.

These lines damage farms in two major ways: 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 and 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - and the government compensation offered doesn’t come close to covering the detrimental impact. (Hosting transmission towers is not the same as hosting renewable energy projects - of which not all land qualifies or can even support).

And what does that mean for Australian's?
• Reduced state-wide food production
• Higher meat prices
• Loss of intergenerational + locally owned farms
• Permanent loss of a unique natural landscape - once it’s gone, it’s gone

We’re against this route that destroys the prime agricultural land that feeds NSW.

12/12/2025

While the government and EnergyCo head into their Christmas break, we won’t be slowing down. Supported by our councils and our community, we plan to keep fighting for answers.