Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has asked Transmission Company Victoria to prepare an Environment Effects Statement (EES) for the VNI West transmission line project.
TCV referred the project to Ms Kilkenny in February 2024, and will now undertake a process similar to what is currently underway with the Western Renewables Link project.
Ms Kilkenny said the VNI West EES process, which would run for about two years, would be a "robust, integrated and transparent assessment through which the potential environmental effects can be rigorously assessed".
Investigations include, but are not limited to, cultural and historic heritage, economic benefits, health and the environment.
The VNI West project plans to deliver a new double-circuit overhead transmission line from Bundure, NSW to Bulgana, connecting the NSW EnergyConnect project to the Western Renewables Link.
"Community consultation is an important part of the EES, and TCV will continue to engage with landowners, communities and Traditional Owners throughout the process," VNI West spokesperson Claire Cass said.
"This will include sharing information about the EES investigations and assessments, directly in small group meetings, via our website and face-to-face events such as community information sessions."
Victorian farmers have held multiple protests over poor consultation regarding the VNI West and Western Renewables Link projects.
Glendan Watts, Charlton, who took part in a recent protest outside a local TCV information session in early April, said he believed there would not be much change to how consultations are conducted, even though the EES would be beneficial to determine environmental impacts.
"Yes, they do attend our communities once every 12 months, but in terms of communicating, consulting and answering questions, [TCV] don't do that at all," he said.
"I just don't think it's going to change anything in regards to the community consultation that's been simply poor the whole way along."
Mr Watts said the process could give an indication of "the amount of destruction that will be involved in the project."
"[The EES] is a process that's in place to protect the environment, so I'm happy and relieved that [Energy and Resources Minister] Lilly D'Ambrosio hasn't just signed off on it and made some rules excluded to doing the EES, so that's good."
