Power price rise link to Powerlink



Power price rise link to Powerlink

by Kerry Ladbrook

First published in a condensed version on the Village Green page of The Courier Mail 23rd March 2013 

No wonder Qld has just experienced a 21% RISE IN ELECTRICITY when High Voltage Projects in rural locations that solely benefit privately owned Coal Seam Gas Companies and their shareholders are able to follow a process and have their costs of construction subsidised  by the Tax Payer.  The antiquated Acquisition of Land Act(ALA) 1967 needs a major overhaul. 

POWERLINK QUEENSLAND intends applying for designation as community infrastructure the Wandoan South to Eurombah  and Network extension in North West Surat transmission projects located in the heartland of a newly proposed coal seam gas development between Roma & Wandoan.

Designation will be decided by Minister for Energy & Water Supply Mark McArdle under the ALA.  Mc Ardle details in a letter dated 25^th October   “I note the planned expansion of the network will not only meet the electricity requirements of the CSG-LNG projects and mines in the region, but will also reinforce and improve supply to nearby townships”.

The only problem with this Mark, is that these projects are in the middle of nowhere where there are no towns and no community infrastructure.  Powerlink Queensland has advised no landholder can connect into these high voltage lines.

If it was true that the proposed transmission lines between Wandoan & Injune were for community infrastructure as Powerlink has asked the Minister to designate them; then there would exist a situation as ridiculous as depicted in this John Spooner cartoon.
The transmission lines are for providing electricity to coal seam gas projects, not the community.
 

This will be the start of many such infrastructure projects across the state all for the benefit of private coal seam gas or mining companies. 

Rural Queenslanders are Angry.

Landholders are not given any input into the proposed study corridors for these projects before they are designed.  These are massive projects to provide electricity to each and every gas well that ORIGIN and SANTOS  will have operational and we believe it should come under Coal Seam Gas Rules and not the very ineffective and out of date land act  that has  ANGERED  landholders threatened  by readily available Power of Entry Notices to gain access, private land accessed without permission by Powerlink and Environmental staff, inadequate consultation in regard to transmission lines & substations, poor weed washdown procedures and no compensation detailed.

Powerlink staff can waste time with personal leave but will rush  the consultation process in order to have an equally rushed environmental investigation which does not respect landholders businesses, location of protected flora & fauna , fire impacts, overgrazing,  devaluation, helicopter mustering, no payment for our time, legal consultation and accountancy.   

If these Projects are privatised, then essential services can be retained.  This will help ALL QUEENSLANDERS  save money  and retain the services they need.  Please support our e-petition (can be under 18)and sign on the attached link, so this is  addressed by Minister Mark McArdle.  

http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/e-petition?PetNum=2058

 

 or  find link on facebook under POWERLINK PROPOSED WANDOAN SOUTH TO EUROMBAH COAL SEAM GAS TRANSMISSION NETWORK PROJECT AND TRANSMISSION NETWORK EXTENSION IN NORTH WEST SURAT

PREVIOUS RELATED DISCUSSION

Petition against abuse of power by Powerlink

 

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Petition against abuse of power by Powerlink

There is occurring a rapid development of coal seam gas fields between Wandoan and Injune. Powerlink is planning to construct a web of high voltage transmission lines and a large power substation and are falsely seeking to designate this as community infrastructure. Landowners are being dealt with by Powerlink in an appalling manner, who are using antiquated laws to negate their responsibility towards landowners for resource sector projects.

The affected landowners have drafted an E- petition with the help of the office of their local state member for the seat of Warrego,  Howard Hobbs, who is included as sponsoring Member on the petition form. To sign you need to a Qld resident but you don't have to be 18; it is only required that you can understand the issue. I ask you to please go to this link sign this petition and to encourage others to sign this petition.
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/e-petition?PetNum=2058

Below is a scanned copy of a newspaper article published Saturday 9th March & written by John Mikkelsen followed by comment by Property Rights Australia chairman, Joanne Rea.

 

 





Property Rights Australia president Joanne Rea, a Marlborough district grazier, said that some landowners had as many as a dozen mining, CSG and infrastructure companies all wanting access to their properties.

“They expect landowners to be at their beck and call, interrupting work schedules,” she said.

“Powerlink has added to a long list of companies, some of whom have a high-handed attitude, who are trying to paint landowners as unco-operative simply for trying to make a time to consult which fits their very hectic work schedule, gain more information and negotiate an outcome which causes minimum disruption to their business,” Mrs Rea said.

“Landowners have already won the right in court to have mapped details of where all infrastructure is to be located by CSG companies before they sign any agreement, but Powerlink in some cases, is refusing to give even basic details of where infrastructure will be.

“The fact remains that landowners have already been down the path of little to no consultation, poor access arrangements, inadequate compensation, lack of respect, no interest in being flexible to cater for the needs of a farming or livestock business and reported intimidation. If Powerlink thinks that this is the way to win the best deal for itself, it is mistaken,”

 

UPDATE #1 Follow up discussion

Power price rise link to Powerlink 

 

UPDATE # 2 Article in the Queensland Country Life

Powerlink project sparks concern

          

UPDATE #3 Letter to the Queensland Country Life 26th March 2013 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE # 4

DEPUTY Premier Jeff Seeney and gasfields commissioner John Cotter have publically said that there is a problem. Powerlink exposed for misrepresenting the  Lowry v Coordinator General land court judgment to deceive Landowners into believing they weren't entitled to compensation.

 Read More in - Powerlink approach slammed 

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UPDATE #5

 8th August,  Follow up discussion

 

Scrutiny needed for Powerlink projects

 

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