Our report Building Trust for Transmission: Earning the social licence needed to plug in Australia’s Renewable Energy Zones, outlines the actions governments, energy regulators and transmission companies need to take to ensure impacted communities benefit from—not simply tolerate—new grid projects. This will support regional communities and allow a smooth and timely rollout of transmission lines at the same time.
Ideas included in the report include grant programs for local community groups, co-investment models where nearby communities receive some of the profit, neighborhood improvement schemes that could focus on planting trees and upgrading roads, and a fairer and more transparent compensation system for landholders.
Changes to regulations at state and federal levels, outlined in the report, would insert earlier and deeper community engagement and improved landholder compensation into the infrastructure pipeline outlined in the ISP.
We are hosting two webinars on Wednesday the 4th and Friday the 6th of August, from 10am-12pm to go over our recommendations and discuss the report with the industry and community.
If you want to get in touch to let us know what you think, please contact [email protected].