THE release of the 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan (VTP) on Sunday this week, represents a major milestone in Victoria’s energy transition, according to the Minister for Energy and Resources, The Hon. Lily D’Ambrosio MP.
“As coal-fired power stations close and we move further toward a future powered by renewables, we need to support this transformational change with a plan that balances the long-term interests of all Victorians,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
“The Victorian Transmission Plan is the cornerstone of a new approach – one that reflects not just engineering and economics, but also the values and voices of communities who host our energy infrastructure.”
There’s lots of stuff in the 134-page report, including that the proposed Gippsland Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), an area identified as the best places to host renewable energy infrastructure including transmission lines for onshore renewable generation that “stretches from Morwell in the west towards Sale in the east. It will cover parts of the Wellington, LaTrobe, Baw Baw and South Gippsland local government areas”.
It notes that “community members and local governments asked us to consider South Gippsland’s high dwelling density, which adds complexity to developing wind projects”.
And that “the size and location of the proposed Gippsland REZ takes into account South Gippsland’s high dwelling density and the habitat of the giant earthworm”.
“It has been shaped by significant landscapes including along the Bass Coast, Wilsons Promontory, the Strzelecki ranges and coastal reserves and wetlands,” it says.
However, while the new report explains that the proposed Gippsland Shoreline REZ is to be located in the region’s south, near the towns of Woodside and Giffard, and between the coastline and the South Gippsland Highway, there’s also a map included with a concerning green, dotted line described as “Transmission projects under development*”.
The asterisk offers some explanation: * “The map shows transmission projects under development including transmission projects defined as Committed and Anticipated or Actionable under the Australian Energy Market Operator’s 2024 Integrated System Plan. This map displays the proposed alignment for Marinus Link.”
In State Parliament, in February this year, Gippsland South MP, Danny O’Brien said this:
“My adjournment this evening is for the Minister for Energy and Resources, and the action I seek is for the minister to immediately rule out a second onshore connection point for offshore wind through Waratah Bay and South Gippsland. This is an issue that has recently come up as a result of community consultation by one of the proponents of offshore wind, Gippsland Skies. They have been highlighting the prospect of rather than going through Ninety Mile Beach and Giffard West or a Giffard connection point, as has been promoted by VicGrid, they might come up through Waratah Bay and South Gippsland to connect to the grid at Hazelwood or Loy Yang,” said Mr O’Brien.
“This is the exact opposite of what this government had proposed to do. The government said it was setting up VicGrid to coordinate and to avoid a ‘spaghettification’ I think is perhaps the word – a spaghetti-like effect – of having lots of transmission lines everywhere. To now have one of these companies saying that they have spoken to VicGrid and that they could come up through Waratah Bay and South Gippsland is just disgraceful, and the minister needs to rule it out right now.”
It took until April 2, 2025 for one of the offshore wind farm proponents, Gippsland Skies, to rule out their proposed “northern route” for overhead, high-voltage transmission lines, coming ashore at Waratah Bay and marching across the South Gippsland landscape to Driffield in the Latrobe Valley.
“Taking into consideration the large volume of community feedback received, Gippsland Skies will not be surveying the proposed offshore northern grid connection cable route,” they said at the time.
However, they didn’t rule it out completely, leaving it to VicGrid to decide.
“Any further marine surveys of potential alternative offshore grid connection corridors by Gippsland Skies will be informed by further information being provided on additional future connection points for offshore wind including through the Victorian Transmission Plan being developed by VicGrid.”
The latest report from VicGrid doesn’t include an onshore crossing at Waratah Bay, nor does it rule such a development out completely.
The Sentinel-Times has asked VicGrid for clarification.
Here’s what they said:
“That’s Marinus Link, no change to the transmission projects set out in the draft, so no plans for transmission lines through Waratah Bay.”
Good to know.