The CRG was established to provide a forum for community members to collaborate with the VNI West project team through the planning and approvals process for this essential infrastructure project.
The CRG will assist the project team by:
- Providing feedback and input as the project progresses;
- Raising questions and concerns on behalf of the community;
- Identifying opportunities for community benefits sharing.
Further details including information about CRG members can be found in the Community section of the TCV website.
VNI West is a major infrastructure project representing a significant investment in north-west Victoria. It will deliver benefits for all Victorians, including:
- Putting downward pressure on electricity prices over time, by unlocking access to cheaper renewable energy and grid efficiencies as coal-fired power stations retire.
- Maintaining energy security, ensuring reliable electricity supply across Victoria and New South Wales.
- Local employment opportunities, particularly during construction, with demand for electricians, transport operators, civil contractors, and other trades.
- Support for local businesses through procurement of goods and services from regional suppliers.
- Attraction of new renewable energy investment, bringing long-term economic benefits to host communities.
In addition, the Victorian Government is introducing the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework (VTIF), which includes a Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Development Fund.
The purpose of the fund will be to collect financial contributions from project proponents to support local infrastructure and programs. In May and June 2024, the Victorian Government sought feedback from communities, landholders, First Peoples and stakeholders to make sure the final REZ Community Benefits Plan incorporated their views and priorities. The draft benefit plan can now be viewed here.
See the VTIF Consultation website and VTIF Fact Sheet for Communities.
VNI West is a major infrastructure project that will bring significant economic opportunities to regional and rural Victoria, particularly during the construction phase.
If the project is approved, Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) will ensure that the appointed construction company is required to create local employment opportunities in line with State regulations. While a detailed construction plan is still being developed, the project is expected to generate a wide range of jobs and business opportunities for local communities.
Most jobs will be created during the construction phase, with some ongoing roles in operations. There will also be demand for local services and suppliers, including electricians, transport operators, and civil works contractors.
To support early engagement, TCV has launched a Local Business and Workforce Portal where employers, vendors, and workers in the project area can register their interest in providing goods or services. Submissions will be shared with the VNI West development partner and the Industry Capability Network (ICN), which will formally advertise packages of work when available.
As the project progresses and the final route is confirmed—following required State and Federal approvals—more opportunities will become available for local communities.
Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) is committed to building genuine and lasting partnerships with Traditional Owners throughout the planning and delivery of the VNI West project. We acknowledge the Barapabarapa, Wamba Wemba, Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia, Jupagalk and Dja Dja Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the lands on which VNI West will be delivered, and we pay respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
As part of the community consultation process, TCV is actively engaging with Traditional Owner groups impacted by the project to:
- Improve understanding of local sites, sensitivities, and elements of cultural importance.
- Identify opportunities for positive outcomes and long-term legacy benefits.
- Collaborate on Cultural Heritage Management Plans in accordance with the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
- Ensure Aboriginal cultural heritage is protected through ongoing consultation with Traditional Owner Groups, Registered Aboriginal Parties and First Peoples – State Relations.
Traditional Owners have contributed meaningfully to the project through:
- Workshops and On Country Days.
- Representation on the Technical Reference Group.
- Input into cultural heritage management, social and environmental impact assessments, and procurement processes.
This collaboration continues into the Development Phase, ensuring Traditional Owners remain central to decision-making and that their knowledge and connection to Country are respected and reflected in project outcomes.
Feedback from community and other stakeholders has been an essential part of project development, helping TCV to better understand community concerns, and to identify constraints and opportunities for locating the transmission infrastructure.
In the early stages, over 500 formal submissions were received during the PACR consultation process, providing important feedback and insights into community priorities and issues as the options for the project were assessed. This feedback, including a discussion of key changes made to the PACR in response to submissions received, is summarised in the PACR Volume 2 report.
As we worked through the process of developing a draft corridor, Community members, Traditional Owner groups, landholders and stakeholders provided numerous valuable insights including environmental, social and economic factors for consideration.
Through a program of community consultation, TCV learned vital details about farms and farming, fragile ecosystems, endangered animals, special places, and unique landmarks. People were encouraged to add constraints and opportunities to an online interactive map, adding comments at specific geographic locations. TCV’s interactive map was visited more than 4,000 times and received more than 2,300 comments.
Some examples of community inputs include:
avoidance of industries that are vital to local economies, for example, key tourism hot spots such as parks and reserves
concerns around the visual impact of the project on the landscape
features including local vantage points, lookouts, hiking trails and recreational areas
habitat and sightings for numerous endangered species.
The Report into the Draft Corridor, and the Preferred Easement Report, contain further detail on how feedback from the community has been considered in the route refinement process.
VNI West is currently in the route refinement and environmental assessment phase, with the Project Easement now published following extensive engagement and technical studies.
Since the release of the Preferred Easement in October 2024, TCV has invited landholders to provide feedback on how the proposed alignment may affect their properties. Between October and January, 59 landholders contributed input, helping to identify ways to reduce disruption and better align infrastructure with property layouts and land use. As a result, more than 250 tower locations have been revised, with nearly half of the landholder requests accommodated in the current Project Easement.
The TCV website transmissionvictoria.com.au is the primary go-to place to find up-to-date information. Fact Sheets and FAQs are a good source of information and can be found on the website, covering issues such as:
What farming activities can occur under transmission lines
Transmission lines and bushfire risk
Details on compensation for landholders and the land access process
We advertise regularly in local papers, including a monthly column focusing on an issue of interest. Community information sessions occur on a regular basis across the region and provide an opportunity to meet the project team in person and ask questions. Details of planned events will be available on the TCV website and promoted through local papers.
If you have any questions for the project team, please email enquiries@transmissionvictoria.com.au or call TCV on 1800 824 221.
