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Talking with landholders

While new transmission infrastructure is critical to Victoria's energy future, we know that it can have impacts on landholders and local communities.

We're committed to working directly with landholders who may be affected. Our dedicated local team is here to:

  • understand your property and how you use it – like farming or business activities
  • talk through the phases of refinement of the study area for the offshore wind transmission project, and how we make decisions
  • answer your questions and hear your concerns
  • work with you to minimise impacts.

View upcoming events and webinars relating to this project.

Refining the study area to a corridor and draft preferred route

Learn more about the refinement process we’ve followed so far on the Gippsland offshore wind transmission project webpage.

We’ve now narrowed the broad study area down to a corridor and a draft preferred route – smaller areas that are most suitable for the transmission line.

This has involved:

  • input from landholders, First Peoples, technical experts and local communities
  • environmental and technical studies on the ground.

We’re continuing to speak with landholders in and near the draft preferred route to seek further feedback and input to inform the location of transmission towers and the Environment Effects Statement (EES), which is the process used to assess the potential environmental, social and economic impacts of the project and how those impacts could be avoided or managed.

The project is being assessed under both Victorian and Commonwealth environmental legislation:

  • Environment Effects Act 1978 (Vic)
  • Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).

The EES will include opportunities for the community to review information, provide feedback and make submissions. We’ll share more details about how and when you can have your say as our planning progresses.

To find out more information about the corridor and draft preferred route, visit Engage Victoria or contact us at enquiries@vicgrid.com.au or 1800 959 341.

You can subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming engagement and project milestones.

Land access for field studies

Since 2024, we have been carrying out field surveys and technical studies to better understand things like:

  • existing buildings and land features
  • environmental conditions
  • how land is used for farming or other activities.

These studies are an important part of preparing the EES and will help inform decisions about the most suitable location for the transmission line.

We are now asking for more detailed input and seeking voluntary access to properties through long-term land access agreements. These agreements set out what studies may occur, when they would take place, the measures we’ll put in place to protect biosecurity, and how landholders will be compensated for access.

Entering into a long-term land access agreement allows specialist fieldwork to be undertaken so the project’s potential impacts can be properly understood and assessed as part of the EES.

If you are a landholder, your landholder engagement advisor can talk with you about what access is being requested, how the agreement works, and any questions or concerns you may have.

Living and working near transmission infrastructure

Visit our living and working near transmission page for information about:

  • biosecurity practices
  • overhead and underground transmission options
  • fire safety around infrastructure
  • electric and magnetic fields (EMF)
  • compensation and landholder payments.

How your feedback has helped shape the project

We've taken a new approach to planning this transmission infrastructure – one that brings communities and landholders into the process early.

Early engagement

Instead of focusing only on technical and economic factors early on, we prioritised conversations with locals to understand community values and needs.

Roadmap and feedback reports

In April 2023, we published our Offshore wind transmission development and engagement roadmap, which outlined the steps we'd take and how we'd involve the community.

Since then, we've:

  • Published and refined our options assessment method using your feedback.
  • Released summary reports capturing what we heard.
  • Established a dedicated landholder engagement team for the Gippsland offshore wind transmission project.

Support services

Need someone to talk to? Support is available. We acknowledge that the prospect of new transmission infrastructure can be challenging and stressful for landholders and local communities. Our support services page details how landholders and their immediate family members can access free and confidential counselling through Inglis Medical Centre.

Page last updated: 05/03/26