29 March, 2024
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Farmers offered $200,000 to host NSW wires

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Regional NSW land owners will be offered $200,000 a kilometre, in exchange for hosting transmission wires on their properties, as the Perrottet government looks to ramp up renewables.

The Strategic Benefit Payments Scheme, announced by the NSW government on Tuesday, is designed to support a changing energy grid, as more renewable energy sources come online.

NSW Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean said the first-of-its-kind scheme would maximise the economic benefits brought about by new infrastructure to bolster regional communities.

Payments will be given to landowners in instalments, indexed to CPI, over 20 years.

Under the scheme, landowners would receive at least $10,000 annually for each kilometre of transmission wire they housed.

Participating landowners will begin receiving payments once the project is energised.

The scheme has been backed by Farmers for Climate Action, which said it had the potential to speed up the delivery of renewable energy across NSW, and give farmers a stable source of income.

Mr Kean said regional landowners would double the average payment they already received, and landowners would be treated equitably across the state – regardless of where they lived.

“The scheme is part of our commitment to share the benefits of a reliable, clean and affordable energy grid with the landowners, who will have a vital role in supporting the delivery of critical transmission infrastructure that will make this possible.”

Building transmission lines is critical to connecting renewable energy sources to the grid in NSW, and the majority of new transmission infrastructure would be built in regional NSW, Deputy Premier and Regional NSW Minister Paul Toole said.

“NSW has the most ambitious renewable energy policy in the nation, which is needed to replace the state’s ageing coal fired power stations and build a clean energy future for NSW,” Mr Toole said.

He said supporting regional landowners would ensure the network is built.

Farmers for Climate Action chief executive Fiona Davis said the project set the benchmark for transmission line payments across Australia, and urged the Commonwealth and other states to look to the Perrottet government’s policy.

“Alternative income is so important during times like droughts, or in recovering from floods, which climate change has already brought far too much of,” Dr Davis said.

“Farmers who have alternative income during drought keep employing locals and spending money in local pubs, cafes and retail stores.”

-AAP

The post Farmers offered $200,000 to host NSW wires appeared first on The New Daily.

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