AEMO Victorian Planning and Transgrid have received more than 300 submissions in response to the Victoria to NSW West Interconnector (VNI West) Consultation Report, which will help identify the proposed option for the transmission line.
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In December 2022, AVP and Transgrid confirmed an additional report would be published in response to stakeholder feedback, which included assessing alternate locations for the terminal station connecting VNI West and the Western Renewables Link (WRL) projects.
VNI West is a proposed new high-capacity 500-kilovolt double-circuit overhead transmission line between Victoria and NSW.
The project originally included a transmission line from Kerang in northern Victoria to a proposed terminal station in Hepburn Shire at Mount Prospect, planned for construction as part of the WRL.
The preferred site for the terminal station has now been identified at Bulgana in the Northern Grampians Shire, noted as option five in AVP's options assessment report.
Submissions seen by Australian Community Media include one from Glenden Watts, Coonooer Bridge, who criticised the changes, saying it was "illogical and scandalous" that it had been deemed the preferred option.
"Despite having numerous identified limitations, option five is also the only option which fails to pass near - or supply - Bendigo," Mr Watts said in his submission.
He said the preferred option negated to have any future additional capacity, and wouldn't assist with the increased demand in the region.
"With time running out for AEMO, and landowners understandably outraged, it seems the longest route with the least number of voices is the quickest way to push this project through to meet election promises," he said.
Another submission from the Victoria Energy Policy Centre, a research hub based at Victoria University, said the project would increase the susceptibility to state-wide blackouts through exposure to natural disasters and terrorism.
Another conclusion said the development would double transmission charges.
"AEMO want the community and renewable generation developers to wait on it to deliver its monumental plans," Victoria Energy Policy Centre director Professor Bruce Mountain said.
AVP group manager Nicola Falcon said meetings, webinars and community events had been held to further build project understanding and gather feedback on a proposed route.
"The community members, farmers and council representatives we've met and spoken with understand that the rapid retirement of coal-fired generation is creating an urgent need for new transmission infrastructure to connect and share new electricity generation," she said.
Stakeholder submissions will be assessed and contribute to the final stage of the investment test, the Project Assessment Conclusions Report, due in the next month.
