Despite our vast natural resources, Australia now has some of the highest electricity prices in the world and the road to “renewables” seems bumpier than ever.

The Gannawarra Shire Council meeting last week, saw a motion to oppose the VNI West electricity transmission project planned to pass through the municipality, approved.

Councillors approved the notice of motion to oppose the project, which involves constructing a 500 kilovolt double-circuit electricity transmission line and associated infrastructure, between Victoria’s Bulgana terminal station and electricity transmission infrastructure in New South Wales. The project also includes construction of a proposed terminal station at Tragowel.

“My fellow Counillors and I agree that the costs associated with VNI West, far outweigh the benefits to our communities,” Mayor Garner Smith said.

“The project’s proposed route has divided residents with the current compensation affected landowners will receive, being inadequate.

“This project is only occurring to ensure residents in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne can access electricity when coal-powered infrastructure is shut down in the next 10-15 years. However, there is no proposal for our communities, who are hosting this infrastructure, to be compensated in a meaningful way, such as by receiving reduced electricity costs.”

The adoption of Council’s stance on the project follows on from a notice of motion adopted at the March 2025 Council meeting, which saw Council write to the Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio expressing deep concern regarding the VNI West powerline project, particularly in relation to landholder consultation, consideration, compensation, and community benefit.

“By formally adopting this stance, we are calling on VNI West proponents to come to Council and assist us to work through the issues our residents have with this project,” Mayor Smith said.

“Our new stance on the project also aligns with other councils impacted by VNI West, with the likes of Buloke Shire Council and Northern Grampians Shire Council also expressing their opposition to the project.”

It’s been a bad week for the government’s energy transition ambition, with a group of leading energy experts, engineers, scientists, economists, conservationists, industrial energy users, and community leaders releasing an open letter condemning Australia’s energy trajectory.

‘The current energy plan is expensive, environmentally destructive and incapable of powering a modern and secure Australian economy.’ stated the letter

‘The consequences of this misguided energy policy are financially and strategically enormous and will be paid for by many generations of Australians, as energy costs flow into every aspect of the economy and daily life. Bad energy policy drives up the costs of everything we produce and consume.’

The authors of the letter point to The Net Zero Australia report — prepared by the University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, and Princeton University, advised by the Australian Conservation Foundation and Climate Council, and sponsored by the Minderoo Foundation — it estimates a full renewables-only transition would cost between $7 and $9 trillion over the next 35 years, including the government’s “green hydrogen superpower” plans.

‘This is the equivalent of up to $850,000 per household—a figure quietly buried by its own supporters as it would bankrupt the nation.[https://www.netzeroaustralia.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Net-Zero-Australia-Modelling-Summary-Report.pdf]’ stated the letter.

The authors believe the false claim that nuclear would cost $600 billion was created by a renewable energy lobby group that donates to the Labour Party and is far from independent.

Stating their figure is five times the real cost estimate of Nuclear, which based on CSIRO data is approximately $120 billion and would deliver decades of secure, zero-emissions, reliable power. Pointing out that ‘we’re the only G20 country that bans zero emission nuclear energy. Every other advanced economy includes nuclear in its net-zero energy mix. If nuclear power is so uneconomic, why does it need to be banned?’

To read the letter in full head to www.rainforestreserves.org.au/open-letter.

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 29 May 2025.