TransGrid have announced approximately 80 properties between Book Book, east of Wagga Wagga and Gobarralong, north of Gundagai, will no longer fall within the preferred corridor for the HumeLink transmission line.
The energy provider said their preference was now to build a double circuit configuration between the three substation locations in Wagga Wagga, Maragle and Bannaby.
The decision was based on a technical assessment, which included considerations of network reliability and capacity, and the region's bushfire risk.
HumeLink is a 500kV transmission line designed to transfer electricity from the Snowy 2.0 expansion to the rest of the country.
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Prior to the TransGrid announcement, the Kyeamba Valley Concerned Landowners Group had warned they would lock their gates to TransGrid if they did not meet the demands of their manifesto.
The demands included an independent feasibility study, comparing a range of corridor options and finding the best balance between agriculture, communities, environment and transmission infrastructure.
They also asked for a requirement that prime agricultural land and Landcare and/or tree planting works be considered as high priority constraints to be avoided where possible.
And they called for the legislation relating to compensation for impacted landholders be reviewed, including options for annual payments for landholders within one kilometre of the transmission line.
The original route was planned to run straight through Rick and Pam Martin's property at Kyeamba.
The Martin's are predominantly cropping farmers who have spent more than 30 years improving the vegetation, biodiversity and soil of their property, including planting 60,000 trees.
Mrs Martin said although they had been granted a reprieve, informed of the route change last week, they were yet to see it in writing and would continue to fight for other impacted landholders.
"We think it's morally unjust to expect one section of the community to subsidise the electricity for east coast businesses and consumers, landholders have to be part of the equation," Mrs Martin said.
"We want them to look into putting the powerlines underground.
"It's expensive but if you look at the cost to the agricultural community and the environmental impact, undergrounding would become a more balanced equation.
"If we don't start putting these lines underground, in 20 years rural Australia will be crisscrossed with a massive cobweb of these towers, which industrialise our properties and ruin our communities."
Community consultation "appalling"
She also labelled the community consultation process by TransGrid "appalling".
A review into the company's community engagement process by landowner and community advocate Rod Stowe and deputy advocate Barbara El-Gamal was recently released and included 20 recommendations for improvements.
In their review, Mr Stowe and Ms El-Gamal described the adoption of these recommendations as "critical in helping to re-establish trust and restore credibility in the engagement process, which has been severely eroded at this point".
TransGrid said they were implementing a genuine re-set of landowner engagement practices for HumeLink, having adopted all the recommendations.
Wagga Wagga Independent MP Dr Joe McGirr said TransGrid's route change announcement would be welcomed news; however it came after landholders spent more than a year trying to engage with the company.
"It is only through the sustained efforts of groups like the Kyeamba Valley Concerned Landowners Group that TransGrid has been called to account on its lack of respect for, and consultation with, those affected."
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