TRAGOWEL farmers whose property will be divided by the controversial VNI West Transmission Line project say they have been misled over the project and kept in the dark on its path and location.
Mick and Cath Shepherd, second-generation farmers who also run a successful tourist attraction, have been been informed that their property will be a part of a public corridor for the transmission towers.
The VNI West project is a proposed new high capacity 500kV double-circuit overhead transmission line between Victoria and NSW.
Over the last four years, Shepo’s Whey, a sculpture park and farm stay, has become a popular attraction in the Gannawarra shire as an adjunct to the couple’s farming activities.
Mrs Shepherd said that in October last year, two men knocked on the door and handed her a folder with photographs of transmission lines.
“I asked them if they were wanting to put these on our farm and they said ‘oh no we are just putting the feelers out,’” Mrs Shepherd said.
“Within a few minutes I said that I feel like I need to go and put the movie The Castle on, I think we are in a bit of trouble.
“They started laughing and said ‘no, no, no we are just putting the feelers out’.
“The following week, we were getting texts and phone calls from locals and people in Melbourne wanting to know why Shepo’s Whey was right in the middle of a public corridor map that had just been released.
Mr Shepherd said that he has been very disappointed about the lack of communication.
“When we found out from other people about our own farm with a 2km corridor, from one end of the farm to the other, it’s coming through,” Mr Shepherd said.
“They won’t tell us, even to this day, exactly where on our farm it will be, it could even be 300m from our house.
“I believe it is a Federal Government thing, so it is going to happen.
“Word has gotten out about the transmission lines are coming through so the wind turbine guys have got a hold of it and decided to put 270 turbines right through Tragowel to Macorna.
“I’m not against it, the difference is that farmers have a choice of having wind turbines on their property and we don’t have a choice for the transmission lines.
There is also a big financial discrepancy.
Wind turbines generate $50,000 annually for each turbine built on a property over 20 years, but land holders with transmission lines receive only $8000 per kilometre annually.
One of the biggest objections the Shepherds have to the 85m transmission towers going through their farm is the level of devaluation the property will face.
Transmission Company Victoria has claimed that they are committed to working closely with near neighbours and the local community, however, the Shepherds and other residents have felt left out of the process.
