CURRENT PROPOSED ROUTE:

Despite TasNetworks continued claims they practice good community engagement, and despite repeated requests from Loongana residents and landowners, we have not received information in a timely manner or adequate maps of the current route showing towers, easements, new tracks and access.  

Fours years on and there are still landholders with towers and easements adjacent to their properties that have not heard from Tasnetworks.

TWEEKS TO THE ORIGINAL ROUTE (7/12/21)

Despite TasNetworks continued false claims they practice good community engagement, Loongana residents and landowners hear about a 'tweeked route' via the local media.

"...the results of the studies and geotechnical drilling have shown that a section of the transmission line, around 10km, is located on land that is prone to landslides, could result in impacts to the karst and cave systems as well as areas of native rainforest" [No shit, Sherlock!] "Based on these findings, it is necessary to realign a section of the preferred route further to the south to avoid these areas. Lachlan Baird 0408 592 342 [email protected].

The tweeked route now impacts on more landholders and still does not address one single impact on karst and threatened species arising from Tasnetworks inappropriate route selection.  

THE 'PINCH POINT':

The section where the line crossed the Leven River is the most controversial spot in the whole route. 

TasNetworks call this a 'pinch point' they say it is unavoidable.  Directly Impacting residents, tourist businesses, covenants, karst system and the flight path for wedge-tailed eagles from three active  nests is totally avoidable. 

There are no mitigation, offset or management plans that adequately meet the risk this HVTL has to Loongana's biodiversity and threatened species.  For Tasnetworks to suggest they are only shows how out of step they are with global climate and biodiversity crisis and how little they care for Tasmania or Tasmanians.

Loongana Valley is an inappropriate place to put a transmission line and TasNetworks must be forced to get out of Loongana.

TOO MUCH TO LOSE:

This is not action on climate when we are in a biodiversity and extinction crisis, nor is it green energy when the environment gets trashed.

Loongana Valley is home to high populations of threatened species, Tasmanian Devils, Eastern Quolls, Spotted-tail Quolls, giant freshwater crayfish among them. Over a dozen threatened species and veg communities will be directly impacted.   There are three active wedge-tailed eagle nests, one within 150m of the line and wires cutting the flight path of six wedgies.  Nesting hollows and habitat for endangered Masked Owls are also in the direct path.  The entire Loongana Karst it's caves and springs are all downhill of the easements and new tracks.  A pristine aquatic environment is critical to karst health yet the ongoing cumulative impacts from easements and new tracks risks the Central Coast headwaters and all river ecosystems downstream.

TasNetworks used desktop surveys for their route selection, their route selection criteria protected land already cleared, discounted undergrounding in a suitable location and avoided using existing HVTL easements all in favour of the least contentious route.