An Upper Hunter cattle farmer says she has little confidence a Parliamentary debate will lead to major changes to EnergyCo’s proposed transmission line, despite an ePetition opposing the project surpassing 20,000 signatures.
Allison McPhee, an affected landholder and member of the Upper Hunter Responsible Infrastructure Group, said landholders feel they have not been genuinely consulted. She said her family received minimal communication before being told the transmission corridor had been refined.
Ms McPhee said the proposed route would cut directly through her family’s beef cattle property, splitting it in two and significantly reducing productivity. She claims the project could halve the value of the farm and disrupt irrigation, water systems and pasture management.
She also raised concerns about biosecurity and environmental impacts, saying heavy machinery moving between properties could spread weeds and damage ridgelines and paddocks that farmers have spent years maintaining.
Ms McPhee criticised the compensation framework, saying payments offered over a 20‑year period did not reflect the long‑term financial and operational losses faced by farming families.
While the petition will now be debated in NSW Parliament, Ms McPhee said landholders remain pessimistic but hope the discussion will bring greater public awareness.
“We’re all feeling pretty low about it because we’ve basically been told it’s happening and to suck it up,” sge said.
“But we really are hopeful. We just think there are better solutions for energy security in this country. We don’t think it’s plowing up your prime agricultural land, reducing your ability to actually grow your own food.
“We just don’t think that this is the right way to go about it. And we’re just saying press pause. Just have another re-evaluation of this.”
