Easement Payments Overview

Our transmission lines are located on easements across public and private land throughout NSW and the ACT.

An easement is a property right that is registered on title and allows Transgrid to construct, operate, and access its transmission line infrastructure.

Private landowners* are compensated for hosting the easement in accordance with the NSW Government’s Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation) Act 1991 (Just Terms Act). Transgrid has also adopted the property acquisition standards and principles set out by the Centre for Property Acquisition.

We have developed this landowner compensation guide to help you understand Transgrid’s process for acquiring easements and how compensation is calculated and paid.

*For the purposes of this web page the term landowner(s) and landholder(s) are interchangeable. 

Strategic Benefits Payments

The NSW Government finalised its Strategic Benefits Payments Scheme (SBP) for eligible landowners following the approval to its SBP Guidelines, which are in effect from 1 July 2025Under the SBP scheme, private landowners hosting new high voltage transmission projects critical to the energy transformation and future of the electricity grid will be paid $200,000 per kilometre of transmission line hosted, adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), paid in annual instalments over 20 years. 

The SPB is not eligible for landowners that are Public Authorities.

The SBP is an additional payment to any compensation paid under the Land Acquisition (Just Terms Compensation Act, 1991). The SBP scheme will apply to landowners hosting new transmission projects that are required for the energy transformation under the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Integrated System Plan (ISP) and the NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.

These payments acknowledge the vital role landowners play in supporting a modern electricity grid for NSW.

More information about the scheme is available from EnergyCo.

We have also developed Frequent Asked Questions to help landowners understand how the scheme benefits them.

Applicable Transmission Projects

The SBP Scheme applies to all new major transmission projects that are critical to the energy transformation and the future of the energy grid. Projects that meet this definition include priority transmission infrastructure projects, Renewable Energy Zone network infrastructure projects and transmission infrastructure projects identified in the AEMO’s ISP that are commissioned after the date of implementation of the SBP Scheme.

Examples of eligible projects that are underway or in early planning and development include EnergyConnect, HumeLink, and VNI West, Hunter Transmission Project, the New England Transmission Project, the Central-West Orana REZ Transmission Project, and the Mt Piper to Wallerawang Transmission Line Project. For eligible projects, SBP is required for:

  • new high voltage transmission lines

  • increasing the voltage of existing lines that involves significant new works such as increasing the width of easements to accommodate additional towers.

The SBP Guidelines do not allow SBP to apply for:

  • new substations

  • rebuilding existing transmission lines that do not involve significant new works, such as replacing existing towers

  • augmentations or upgrades to the existing transmission network, including existing substations

  • new transmission and distribution lines less than 220kV and any associated works

  • existing transmission and distribution lines.

For eligible projects and works, payments are based on the length of the line required for a single set of transmission towers for the transmission infrastructure. If the transmission project requires two sets of towers (and subsequently two lines or parallel lines), the landowner will receive a SBP for each set of towers/lines for the project (that is, two payments). There is no difference in payment for different voltages or different tower designs.

Strategic Benefit Payment Guidelines

Transgrid as a Licence Holder must administer the SBP in accordance with the NSW Government’s Strategic Benefit Payment Guidelines (the Guidelines). Transgrid must make SBPs and comply with the Guidelines as a condition of its Licence. Some of the requirements of the Guidelines include the below.

Project Easement Register

Transgrid must publish a Project Easement Registerfor each of its eligible projects. The registers must be completed at least 90 days before the energisation date and be updated as required to ensure the information is accurate. A link to the register will be made available soon.

Information for eligible landowners

In accordance with Clause 19 of the Guidelines, Transgrid must prepare and publish, and keep up to date and accurate, information about SBPs.

The information which will be published includes:

  • information about how to contact the Licence Holder to submit enquiries about SBPs and typical response times

  • information to identify the Licence Holder’s Eligible Projects

  • the current Project Easement Register for each of the Licence Holder’s Eligible Projects

  • information about the Licence Holder’s procedures for identifying Eligible Owners and obtaining valid Payment Directions

  • the Licence Holder’s privacy policy relating to Landholder Information; and

  • the Complaints Handling Policy of the Licence Holder.

Payment process

Transgrid will employ a staged approach to identify and pay eligible landholders which involves:

  1. Ownership verification: using the current Certificate of Title and Transgrid systems, affected landholders will be identified and evaluated for eligibility based on the SBP guidelines.

  2. Payment direction: verified landholders will be contacted to provide a signed payment direction form which includes payment information and enables payments to be made

  3. Verbal confirmation: initial payments and the updating of any payment direction details will require verbal confirmation from verified landholders.

Contact us

Landholders with enquiries about SBPs can contact Transgrid by emailing sbpayments@transgrid.com.au. Your enquiry will be acknowledged within 2 business and responded to within 10 business days.

Feedback and complaints

If a complaint or dispute cannot be resolved, eligible landholders can contact the Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) who has a list of dispute resolution services. More information can be found on the EWON website at https://www.ewon.com.au/.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the SBP Scheme?

The new line has been energised and I am eligible to receive SBP payment, what happens next?

Why are these payments being introduced?

Was Transgrid involved in developing the payment program?

Who is eligible for these payments?

How do I apply?

What projects trigger SBPs?

Do these payments replace compensation agreed under the Just Terms Compensation Act (1991)?

When do the payments come into effect?

What if energisation occurred before the guidelines were published?

How has the rate of payment been determined?

Why are the payments for a 20-year timeframe?

Who will make the payments and how is the scheme being funded?

Does the payment apply to existing transmission assets? If not, why not?

Are the payments registered on property title, or linked to the property in some way?

I am still negotiating compensation with Transgrid for an eligible project – what happens to me?

I have already agreed compensation with Transgrid for a current eligible project – what happens to me?

The rate is described as being per kilometre – how does it apply to parts of a kilometre?

Are the payments subject to Capital Gains Tax, or any other tax?

How do I make sure my contact and bank details are correct?

Are neighbour payments included in this scheme?