AusNet’s latest factsheet is nothing more than a hollow, short-sighted attempt to gloss over the fundamental flaws of the Western Renewables Link (WRL). It reflects a company completely out of step with the serious risks, widespread impacts, and overwhelming opposition from the community. This isn’t genuine support—it’s calculated spin, designed to mislead rather than engage in meaningful dialogue.

1. Ignores Core Community Concerns

The factsheet completely sidesteps the fundamental issues raised by landholders—fire risk, environmental degradation, loss of agricultural productivity, and poor route selection. It presents the project as a done deal:

“Engaging early allows you to protect your interests… if the project proceeds.”

This dismisses the reality that most landholders want the project stopped—not managed.

2. A Divide-and-Conquer Strategy

The offer of early payments and tight deadlines (e.g. 30 June and 1 December 2025) is clearly designed to pressure landholders into signing now, undermining collective resistance. It encourages individual gain over long-term community solidarity.

3. Compensation Will Not Buy Our Communities

No amount of money can offset the deep, lasting impacts of the Western Renewables Link. What AusNet is offering isn’t compensation—it’s an insult.

• Land access payments are capped at $50,000, no matter how extensive the disruption.
• The Option for Easement (OFE) adds just $20,000 in new money, dressed up to look more generous than it is.
• The so-called “Voluntary Hosting Benefit” is vague, conditional, and dependent on future milestones that may never be met.

These offers are vastly inferior to what’s needed. They don’t begin to address the loss of land value, operational upheaval, or the long-term emotional and mental toll. Our communities are not for sale—and certainly not at a discount.

4. More Pressure, Less Choice

AusNet frames early engagement as “flexibility,” but admits: “As the project progresses… the ability to adapt solutions will become more limited.”

This is not support—it’s coercion. Landholders are being told to act fast or lose out, without any acknowledgment of their right to oppose the project entirely or wait for the EES outcome.

5. Delayed and Uncertain Payments

Most benefits, including the Voluntary Hosting Benefit, are only paid if the project is approved and reaches construction. This leaves landholders exposed, with no guarantee of return for years.

6. Selective PR Stories Don’t Solve the Problem

The brochure showcases a few curated “success stories” to suggest flexibility. But these anecdotes offer no transparency or certainty to others.

“AusNet ensured he could continue his farming operations…”

This glosses over the many landholders who cannot—and do not want to—farm beneath 500kV towers.

Conclusion

AusNet’s “Enhanced Support” is not about support—it’s about pressure. It’s a calculated effort to distract from a deeply flawed project by throwing money at individuals, pushing timelines, and masking coercion as collaboration.

The factsheet:

• Ignores the reasons communities oppose the WRL;

• Uses financial pressure in place of genuine consultation;

• Encourages pre-emptive sign-up before key EES and Ministerial decisions;

• Offers no clarity, no guarantees, and no respect for broader community values.

This is not about flexibility. It’s about fast-tracking a bad project.