Newsletter #5- TAKE ACTION
Hi All,
It’s been a while since my last update. The Woolomin community meeting last week threw my update out the window.
The big news is that the Hunter Transmission Project (HTP) has been moved from its planned route in the Hunter Valley. See below for more details.
Valley Alliance committee have been meeting weekly and the following is an update of what has happened in the last week:
COMMUNITY MEETING recap : You would have seen my previous update on the meeting. I won't go over it again but it has raised more questions than answers. Valley Alliance has written to Minister Sharpe complaining about the way that EnergyCo treated community members. There were many questions that weren’t answered on the night. We will follow up to try and get answers for you in a timely manner.
QUESTIONS: Did you miss out on asking your question? Please forward it to us and we will put together a list of questions for EnergyCo.
HUNTER TRANSMISSION PROJECT (HTP): HTP is a similar 500Kva project in the Hunter Valley. EnergyCo announced this month that it was MOVING. This was largely the result of community feedback. EnergyCo added a public consultation step to the normal procedure. The Consultation occurred PRIOR to the EIS . This show’s some common sense that we haven't seen before from EnergyCo. As a result of public feedback (250+ SUBMISSIONS, 200+ emails )
Around 85% of the HTP will be on power station, mining, industrial and government land.
The number of potentially affected private landowners in the revised corridor has been reduced from 78 (in the preliminary corridor) to less than 25.
VA is looking for a similar result. There is NO reason why this does not set a precedent for moving onto public land . KEEP WRITING LETTERS.
MENTAL HEALTH : It was great to hear from Kate Arndell. A huge thankyou to Kate, Cath Spora and Charlotte Finlayson for coming to the Woolomin meeting. They are available to talk about anything and everything. You can call them on 0477 322 851. They can come to you and are free. The other option is EnergyCo’s 1800 number but it’s only for directly impacted landholders and they wont meet in person. Thanks EnergyCo!!
LETTERS :
Valley Alliance committee members Jenny Wright and Mark Eather will be at Woolomin markets this Saturday from 10am-12pm . They will be helping anyone that is interested to write letters to Minister Penny Sharpe to register your objection to the HVTL project. I hear Mark will shout you a coffee from Woolomin store if you want to sit down and write a letter with him!
We have created a members page on the Valley Alliance website. On the page are templates for letter writing. There is also a Click n send option. You just click on the link, it should open in your email , add your name and some personal details and click send ..Job done!Click TAKE ACTION . Password is EnergyCoSux
MEMBERSHIPS: Currently, we have 260 members. KEEP SIGNING UP. TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER . ONLINE LINK
MEDIA: WE WANT YOU. VA has been increasing our media profile on a weekly basis. You would have seen a lot more in the press about our situation. We had some great coverage in the Northern Daily Leader last Saturday and expect more to follow. TV coverage has also increased. We are looking to continue spreading our members' stories. We would like to have a database of people that would be happy to be interviewed by the press about how the proposed HVTL’s will impact you. Please send me an email to let me know if that sounds like you.
What you can do to help:
WRITE, WRITE & WRITE SOME MORE: see above. Head to Woolomin on Saturday morning if you aren't confident writing the letter
Thanks for all your support. Remember there are better options and we need to convince EnergyCo that a change is in everyones best interest.
All the best
Tim
0438 676 596
Minister list for communication
Kevin Anderson, Member for Tamworth, tamworth@parliament.nsw.gov.au
James Griffin, Member for Manly, Shadow Minister for Energy and Climate Change, manly@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Trish Doyle, Member for Blue Mountains, Parl. Sec. for Energy, bluemountains@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Robert Borsak, MLC, robert.borsak@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Mark Banasiak, MLC, mark.banasiak@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Wendy Tuckerman, Member for Goulburn, goulburn@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Natalie Ward, MLC, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, office.ward@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Dugald Saunders, Member for Dubbo, Shadow Minister for Regional NSW, dubbo@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Abigail Boyd, MLC, (The Greens “Energy & Just Transitions Portfolio”), abigail.boyd@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Paul Scully wollongong@parliament.nsw.gov.au
Member of the Legislative Assembly , Member for Wollongong
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces , Member of the Australian Labor Party