Victoria Orders Western Renewables Link Cost Review, Pauses Compulsory Acquisitions

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has ordered an immediate, independent assessment of the Western Renewables Link’s costs, with findings due to be published by the end of 2026. The government said no compulsory acquisitions will occur during the review. The proposed 190-kilometre transmission line from Bulgana to Sydenham is now estimated at A$1.5 billion, more than three times its 2019 estimate, and its environmental-effects statement was approved on Tuesday. The project still requires state and Commonwealth agency approvals and parliamentary approval, while planning officials found significant visual and landscape impacts could be managed through mitigation.