New high capacity power transmission lines from the Salt Creek wind farm north of Mortlake are sparking concern with several Mortlake district residents.
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Mortlake district resident Lisa Allen said the towers for the transmission lines were very large at more than 22 metres high and would be a blight on the landscape.
Mrs Allen said several of the transmission towers would be placed along the boundary of her family’s property on the Mortlake-Framlingham Road but she had not been able to have any say about their installation.
She understood the towers were carrying transmission lines to connect to larger transmission lines at Terang rather than the high capacity transmission line that runs to Portland, which was closer.
Mrs Allen said many people had thought the transmission lines would be the same size as those that serviced residential areas and were shocked at the large size of those being erected.
There were about three other wind farms planned for Mortlake and surrounding districts and she was concerned there were be a myriad of large-scale transmission lines blighting the landscape if the wind energy companies did not collaborate to reduce the lines’ impact on the visual scene, she said.
Mrs Allen said some of the new high capacity lines should be run next to existing lower capacity lines to reduce their impact on the landscape.
Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan said he had been contacted by several Mortrlake residents who were not happy about the size of the transmission towers being installed for the Salt Creek wind farm.
Mr Riordan said some of the towers were just under 30 metres high, three times the size of an average power pole. The transmission lines had been approved by the state government but more discussion was needed to find out if the towers could also carry power from other wind farms so there was not a “cobweb of of wires’ across the landscape, he said.
Moyne Shire Cr Jill Parker told the council’s December meeting the ongoing construction of the towers was causing "quite a bit of angst" in the Mortlake community.
Cr Parker said residents were concerned about the "ad hoc" planning for the lines and the council should raise their concerns with the state government.
