EnergyConnect Landowner and Community Engagement

How we engage

Our engagement approach is centred on the principles of transparency, accessibility, inclusiveness and communication.

 

Transgrid is committed to continuously improving our engagement to support our decision making and deliver tangible and lasting community benefits, while progressing our work program. 

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Easement Payments

The NSW Government recently announced its Strategic Benefits Payments (SBP) for landowners. Under 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 a set rate of $ 200,000 per kilometre of transmission hosted, paid out in annual instalments over 20 years, linked to the Consumer Price Index.

 

In other words, the SBP is a payment of $10,000 per kilometre of transmission line across privately-owned land, paid annually over a period of 20 years and adjusted for inflation based on the Consumer Price Index. The SBP are in addition to any compensation paid under the Just Terms Compensation Act (1991) and will apply to landowners hosting EnergyConnect. More information is available on our Easement Payments page.

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Engage with Indigenous communities

As part of our planning process we recognise the importance of engaging with and respecting local indigenous communities across our network. For EnergyConnect we recently joined Aunty Pam the CEO of the Dareton Local Aborigianl Land council for a smoking ceremony at our Buronga substation.

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Landowner support services

We appreciate that for many the idea of a large tower and transmission line being built on your property may cause stress, anxiety or anger. We also know that some landowners may want to talk to someone independent outside of Transgrid to discuss these concerns.
To offer independent support throughout this process, we have engaged an external service provider, Assure Program. Assure Program has independent counsellors who can provide counselling to interested landowners.
Further details on this service, as well as additional landowner resources, are available on our landowner support and advocacy page. 

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Office of the Landowner and Community Advocate

Transgrid has established the Office of the Landowner and Community Advocate to help us implement the best possible landowner and community engagement practices across all major transmission projects. The office is led by the former Commissioner for NSW Fair Trading, Rod Stowe, who - as Landowner and Community Advocate - has agreed to advise us on our engagement practices and processes. Mr Stowe's advice will ensure we uphold best practice engagement and always treat everyone fairly and with respect.

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Online community information sessions

In September 2021 we held three online Community Information Sessions to share project information and answer your questions.

This video is an edited version of the webinar on 14 September 2021 and shows the presentation that was consistent at all three sessions. We are making this session available online for anyone who could not attend a webinar, and to demonstrate our commitment to open and transparent engagement.

The questions and answers summary report provides the questions asked and the answers given during all three sessions. The report also includes links to helpful information related to EnergyConnect.