Australian Rural & Regional News sought a response from Powerlink Queensland to the Property Rights Australia media release, Powerlink playing with our property rights: Property Rights Australia. ARR.News asked about Powerlink’s consultation processes and also the adjustment of projects in response to landowner concerns.

Powerlink spokesperson, Powerlink Queensland, 9 February 2023

Powerlink has made significant efforts to improve our community and landholder relations since works in the Surat Basin occurred from 2012 to 2015.  We will continue to work with landholders, the community and other stakeholders to refine our processes to deliver our commitments in the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

A number of key changes have been implemented during the past decade, in particular our Land Access Protocol and Community Engagement Strategy. These reflect our commitments to landholders on the standards we will adhere to throughout planning, construction and maintenance phases when accessing landholder property, and engaging to build relationships based on respect and trust.

We recognise the uncertainty that potential infrastructure projects can bring to communities and landholders. It’s why we have a strong focus on engaging early, often and transparently with those who may be potentially impacted. Our engagement processes provide communities with multiple opportunities to provide feedback and input to consider the most appropriate location of any potential transmission corridors or infrastructure.

Powerlink analyses potential environmental, social and economic impacts of corridor options, along with technical considerations, with the goal that any recommended corridor has the least overall impact to landholders and the wider community.

Expectations vary across communities around how and when they want to be engaged on projects. Powerlink recognises this and we seek to be agile and responsive to meet community and landholder expectations.

We are also conducting a review with external stakeholders on the way we develop our transmission network, examining how we carefully assess social, economic and environmental factors and our compensation framework so these reflect current community expectations.

Powerlink is committed to working in partnership with communities, landholders and other stakeholders in all of our planning, construction and operational stages of Queensland’s electricity transmission network.

Related story: Powerlink playing with our property rights: Property Rights Australia