An energy transmission expert has cast doubts on the ability of the controversial VNI West electricity line to withstand severe weather events, such as the one last week, which knocked out power to half a million homes.
VNI West is a proposed new high capacity 500 kV double-circuit overhead transmission line, which will deliver new transmission infrastructure to the state.
Victoria Energy Policy Centre director Professor Bruce Mountain said a previous report identified concerns about the strength of the towers, planned for the transmission network.
"These events draw attention to the weather related aspects and we think it would be entirely necessary for the government to review the transmission planning arrangements," Professor Mountain said.
"In our Plan B report, we said we need to expect severe weather events and the implications of that for what we call single points of failure, which is each one of the transmission towers.
"The VNI West line will carry two circuits, on one set of towers, so that is a very concentrated source of electricity transmission."
The Australian Energy Market Operator said last week's storm knocked out hundreds of powerlines and six towers at Anakie on the 500kV transmission line to Sydenham.
"We had forecast exactly the events that transpired in the 500kv circuits, to the west of Victoria, the evidence shows those events are becoming more frequent," Professor Mountain said.
'We think claims that trying to engineer transmission towers to resist the weather are ultimately likely to prove fanciful.
"It's simply too expensive to engineer towers to actually withstand the sorts of forces they are going to have to withstand."
Meanwhile, the government has announced an expert panel will review the strength of Victoria's distribution network.
VNI West protest group organiser mixed farmer Glenden Watts, Coonooer Bridge, said the failure of the towers at Anakie reinforced fears about the project.
"Utilising existing infrastructure makes sense," he said.
He said he did not expect the inquiry to uncover anything new.
"Nothing has changed, we haven't learned anything from the Bushfire Royal Commission, they are still not maintaining the lines properly," he said.
"Until they are going to maintain things properly, you can't expect the lines to withstand anything, whether it be wind or fire."
The inquiry was probably political - "I think it is more a vote grab, than out of any genuine concern," he said.
Gooroc grain grower Gerald Feeney said the collapse of the towers at Anakie supported the case of those opposed to the VNI West.
He said federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen claimed the projects involved "rewiring" the nation.
"Construction of new lines is not rewiring, an electrician requires your house, he changes the wiring," he said.
"The transformer pole, which supplies my farm and my home, is stamped 1963 - but I missed its 50th birthday.
"They are not going to touch the existing grid, it's not rewiring, it's a separate system being put in place and it doesn't cure any of the problems of faults in the grid or aged equipment.
Mixed farmer Barry Batters, St Arnaud said protestors hadn't changed their opinion.
"It's not good enough, surely we should be investigating nuclear energy," he said.
'We've got one in Sydney, its not like people are not living beside it now - we are not even having an investigation into it, the government is on the wrong track."
He said farmers would sign up for wind turbines as they saw it as "another wool cheque".
"It's easy money, but what are the implications, down the track?"
Farmers concerns about the impact of wild weather on transmission towers had been confirmed.
"They are not safe are they? Clearly they are not safe," he said.
"It's not the first time they've been blown down, it's happened before," Mr Batters said
But a spokesman for the Australian Energy Market Operator said the fallen transmission lines near Anakie did not cause the widespread outages in Victoria.
"The outages impacting 500,000 properties were solely due to widespread storms across Victoria that damaged the poles and wires (distribution network) in the state," Jonathan Geddes said.
"We can't comment on the future design of a project that isn't expected to start construction until 2026."
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
