NO BTS66 - Fact Sheet 1

At the residents meeting held on 7th February 2011 the residents voted No BTS66.
This is why and what can you do to help STOP the BTS66.
Have your say, submit your comments prior to 15th April.

Fact Sheet
March 21 2011
Brunswick Terminal Station 220/66 KV, proposed for 46 King Street Brunswick.

What does BTS66 mean?
Brunswick Terminal Station 220/66KV is the new electrical facility required to supply more electrical power to the CBD and inner Northern suburbs, and proposed for Brunswick. It is actually new TS that could be located anywhere given suitable conditions within 10km’s of the CBD. The incoming electrical power is supplied at 220,000 volts (220KV) and transformed in the facility down to 66,000 volts (66KV) and then distributed to zone substations and eventually into businesses and homes.
It could just as easily be BRTS66 (Brooklyn Terminal Station 66KV).

Does the new Terminal Station have to be located at Brunswick?
No, it can be located at a number of different locations, if the precautionary principal is used; it would not be located in a residential area like Brunswick. An alternate site has been identified in Brooklyn, in a heavy industrial area, not close to residences. If it is located at Brunswick it would be a world first for a Terminal station of this size to be located in such a dense residential area.

Why is it needed and when?
A new terminal station is required to provide more power to the CBD and to the inner northern suburbs. The requirement for a new Terminal Station was financially viable in 2006. New TS is now long overdue.

Where is the site in Brunswick?
The proposed site at 46 King Street is zoned Residential 1 and covered by an ESO1, directly opposite 38 Homes, Sumner Park Soccer ground (450 junior members) and the Merri Creek bicycle path and Merri Creek valley of state significance. There are hundreds of residents in the immediate area, parklands, High schools, Primary schools and kindergartens and sporting grounds all within 500m of the site. The parkland is used by thousands of people for recreational purposes.

Why was Brunswick selected as the site for the New TS66?
In the 1950’s a decision was made to demolish Stony Park Mansion (located on 4Ha of land on the Merri Creek) and construct a 220/22KV terminal station now known as BTS22 to service the inner northern suburbs. There is a high voltage power supply into the site, overhead along the Merri Creek Valley, which then proceeds underground to Richmond and then to the CBD.
Brunswick is regarded as an option by the power companies because of an existing, old infrastructure currently on site. The New TS proposed will be in addition to the existing facility, not an upgrade, nor maintenance works as described in the initial planning application which was subsequently refused.

Is Brunswick the most economical location for the new TS?
Currently according to the figures released by the power companies, Brunswick is the most economical location to locate the new TS. Currently it is forecast that Brunswick can be delivered in 2015 and all other options can be delivered in 2016. If this assumption is not right, and it takes 6 months longer to deliver Brunswick than the others, then Brunswick drops to N0. 3 on the most economical alternatives and North Fitzroy and Brooklyn then become more feasible.
There is significant risk that the deliverable date at Brunswick being extended by more than 12-24 months to resident protest and the planning permit process.

What are some of the risks to human health with a New Terminal Station located at Brunswick?
A fourfold increase in capacity at the Brunswick site would cause a fourfold increase in current in the supply line, i.e. the high-voltage power lines from the Thomastown terminal station in Mahoney’s Rd, Thomastown. This high-voltage power line does not have a 30 m easement along its whole length. Instead crosses over private residential properties in Reservoir.

Living in the vicinity of high-voltage power lines has been associated with a two-fold increase in the incidence of childhood leukemia. While the mechanism for this increased incidence is currently unknown, the precautionary principle would dictate that any increase in high-voltage power exposure should be avoided in residential areas.

One of the alternative sites, Brooklyn, is in an industrial site and receives its power supply from the South Morang TS via the Keilor TS. These high-voltage cables appear to have an easement and so would be more suitable for an increase in current to supply the inner Melbourne area.

Is this risk to people living under the HV line in Reservoir assessed during the Reg Test?
No.

Who decides where the new terminal station will be located?
The Australian Energy Regulator decides where the new terminal station will be located after receiving submissions from AEMO and Citipower and to a lesser extent SP AusNet trough the Regulatory test prepared by the power companies.
The Australian Energy Market Operator plans the transmission system, Citipower plan the distribution system and together they plan where new terminal stations will be located. SP AusNet then becomes the owner of the infrastructure and it is their responsibility to build such facilities. The Regulatory Test is not subject to independent assessment.

Why is it not a good idea to locate the new TS in a residential area such as Brunswick?
It is proposed to increase the output of the Brunswick site four-fold from 225KW to 900 KW. This will result in a four-fold increase in the EMF on the current site.
There are no definitive standards anywhere in the world that have determined it is safe to expose humans to long term electromagnetic Fields. Living in the vicinity of high-voltage power lines has been associated with a two-fold increase in the incidence of childhood leukemia. While the mechanism for this increased incidence is currently unknown, the precautionary principle would dictate that any increase in high-voltage power exposure should be avoided in residential areas.

Does the Regulatory test assess the effects of living under or next to high-voltage power line or high-voltage electrical equipment?
No. It only measures the strength of the electromagnetic field. If the mechanism causing the increase in childhood leukemia incidence was indirect, measuring the electromagnetic field would give a false impression safety where there is danger (e.g. via chemical reactions caused in close vicinity of the high-voltage power equipment and then distribution of the product of the chemical reaction in the neighborhood).

Is there a risk of these large scale oil transformer failure such as the ones proposed for the new terminal station?
Yes

Are systems to contain the resultant fire and smoke foolproof?
No, all industrial facilities are associated with risk, especially where safety measures have been compromised.

Is the Brunswick site a sensitive location?
Yes, zoned Residential Zone 1, bordered by 76 Homes, a soccer ground utilized by 450 junior members, the Merri Creek and the Merri Creek bicycle path.
The site is also covered by an environmental significant overlay.

What is the proposed form of the New Terminal station at Brunswick and at what cost?
The proposal is for all equipment to be housed inside buildings ranging in height from 7, 9, 10 and 12 meters high for some $300 million. Not to mention 6-9 months of rock drilling and excavating required to sink these buildings meters into the rock. No information about the aquifer and the impact on the aquifer these substantial earthworks have been revealed to date.

What are the limitations of the Regulatory Test?
Does not measure risk of failure to be able to be built due to planning permit application refusal or delay.
(The 2008 Reg test determined that the new TS be located at Brunswick over a site in Bouverie Street, CBD. The Bouverie St option was costed at $110m. The current cost estimate for Brunswick is $300m, some $190m more than the rejected Bouverie Street option. Planning Permit considerations were not considered in 2008, just as they are not considered now.)
• The Regulatory Test is a self-managed process, not subject to independent scrutiny.
• The reg test is a process the power companies are bound to follow a predetermined process that assesses various options on a dollar amount with little or no consideration to benefits/risks to community
• Assumes all options are similar and can be distilled down to a dollar amount for selection. Purposes. Site sensitivity, appropriate zoning nor optimum use of land is not considered.
• Long term benefits of options are not considered, i.e.: is a site available for future expansion
• Assumes current infrastructure locations are appropriate and consolidation appropriate
• Does not consider cultural heritage of the sites
• Does not consider peculiar geographical features which could increase risk of danger to health.
• Does not consider effects of additional EMF exposure for residents living within the current HV easement in Reservoir.
• The process is very difficult to understand and information is closely guarded by the power companies resultant in a process that does not appear transparent and independent and is confusing.
• The selection process is very sensitive to deliverable dates, and there is more risk associated with the timing of the Brunswick site due to the variable nature of the planning permit process. Planning permit process not required at Brooklyn. The Reg test does not rate the risk of deliverable dates.

Are there peculiarities with the Brunswick site that cause a safety concern?
Yes. The levee bank along Alister st protecting the 8 residences from flood water also forms a barricade that would trap any toxic heavy gasses escaping from the facility in the right atmospheric conditions and affecting the residents. The regulatory test does not consider this.

Are Planning permit conditions being considered now?
No, pre-application meetings with the planning officers at Moreland have not taken place.

What is the maximum height for buildings in a residential zone and does the current proposal comply?
9 m. The proposal exceeds the maximum building height in a residential zone by 3 m.

Have the friends of the Merri Creek been consulted over the plan to build a 12 m high industrial building on the banks of the Merri Creek?
No, the height of the proposed buildings exceed the trigger height for buildings to be considered under the ESO1 by 6 m.

Will the Proposal be visible from St Georges Road, from the Merri Creek and from the sporting grounds on the eastern side of the creek?
Yes, because the site is elevated and very visible from surrounding areas.

Does Reg. test require the current proposal at Brunswick to preserve the cultural heritage of the site?
No. As the former home of Sarah Sumner and site of Stony Park Mansion, “the Ripponlea of the north”, there is no preservation of the cultural heritage of the site proposed. The site is not listed on the heritage register, but neither has it been considered for listing on the register.

Has due consideration of sites alternate to Brunswick been considered?
No. The residents introduced an industrial real estate company to the power companies in late December 2010. The Real Estate Company was not formally approached by the power companies until February 2011, 4 weeks prior to the release of the draft Reg. Test. Due consideration of the alternate sites could not have followed due diligence in only a 3 week window. Given this limited time , Brooklyn has been identified which can proceed given a decision to do so.

Are alternate more appropriate sites available than the Brunswick site that have yet to be explored?
Probably, alternate sites have only been listed for consideration in the 3 weeks prior to the release of the draft Reg report.
Alternate options could not have been exhausted in the 3 weeks prior to the release of the draft report; therefore it is reasonable to conclude that alternate options have yet to be explored fully.

Where to from here?
Comments to the draft regulatory report are currently being received by Citipower, they will then be collated and the regulatory test will be presented to the Australian Energy Regulator.
The public are invited to submit their comments before 15 April 2011 and they may be published. If you do not want your comments published please stipulate that clearly on your submission.

Comments should be directed to:

Mr. Neil Watt
Manager Network Strategy Electrical Networks- Citipower
Locked bag 14090
Melbourne, Victoria, 8001 or
info@brunswickts.com.au

After the close of the comment period on 15 April, a final report will be finalized on 13 May and which will be made available to registered participants and interested parties. Once the final report is published, registered participants will have 40 business days to dispute the recommendations contained in the report.

What happens then?
If Brunswick is still the preferred site for the power companies to build the New Electric Terminal Station, and the Australian Energy Regulator tells the power companies to build the new TS at Brunswick then the next step for the power companies is to lodge a Town Planning Permit application with the City of Moreland for consideration and assessment. This will probably be in the months following 40 day deadline expiration. Last time an application was submitted to Moreland back in December 2009, the application was for maintenance and upgrade works to the existing terminal station, (even though the real scope of works was for a new terminal station). We all acknowledge that the description of the works was misleading, that the advertising was below standard exposure and that the officers report body and conclusions left a lot to be desired.
Swift and strong local resident action then, saw that application refused. Swift and strong local resident action saw the 1989 proposal for overhead High Voltage power lines from Brunswick to Richmond placed underground. We are not saying don’t put the New TS in our back yard, we, the residents, are saying “Don’t put the TS in anyone’s back yard, it should be placed in a suitable heavy industrial area, not a dense residential area like 46 King st, Brunswick”. There is too much risk to place The New TS at Brunswick, and the Reg Test does not adequately consider the risk, nor the impact on our community this heavy industrialized facility will have on our community for the next 50 years and beyond.

Placing the New Terminal Station on the King Street site is wrong and a detriment to our and any community.

The Merri Creek Residents Group will be strongly opposing any plan to place the new TS at 46 King Street, Brunswick or any other residential location and will continue the opposition to such a proposal until it is relocated to an industrial location.

For updates and to follow the campaign, please log into and register at http://powergridsolutions.blogspot.com

Melbourne Times article - "State may hold power in terminal upgrade proposal"

Article in Melbourne Times Weekly 23 Feb 2011:

"State may hold power in terminal upgrade proposal" by Genevieve Gannon

The state government is considering whether it can intervene in the planned upgrade of the Brunswick electricity terminal station.

Residents continue to agitate for intervention, citing concerns over aesthetics on the Merri Creek banks and residents' health.

Brunswick MLA Jane Garrett said the government should encourage power station operators SP Ausnet, Citipower and the Australian Energy Market Operator to investigate alternative sites for the power station.

To see the full story go to: http://melbournetimes.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

COMMUNITY DECIDES TO FIGHT BTS EXPANSION PLANS

At a community meeting on Monday 7^th February, local residents unanimously agreed to oppose plans by the power companies to build a new 66kV facility on the Brunswick Terminal Station site. Whether above ground or underground, it was agreed that this residential and environmentally sensitive site is simply not the appropriate place for such a development to take place, and we will be calling on our representatives at Local, State and Federal government levels to support our position.

This decisions was taken by way of a formal motion, proposed by Robert Downing and seconded by Chris Black that stated:

This meeting opposes an expansion of the Brunswick Terminal Station (and its continuation) in an inner residential area. We call on the representatives of our community to wage an ongoing campaign to resist such development

The motion was unanimously carried without objection.

This was preceded by a presentation by Dr Anne Voss (Alister Street resident) outlining discussions between the power companies and the representative resident group to date. Colin Abbott also spoke about the history of successful resident action in getting the power lines put underground from Brunswick to Richmond, and Ray Colodetti outlined his concerns about the the consultation process to date and the possible long term consequences of allowing the development to go ahead. There was then discussion about the best course of action for residents – either to continue in discussions/negotiations with the power companies about their proposals or to actively oppose the expansion project in principle.

Reasons canvassed for opposing the project include that it was felt the power companies had been ignoring or dismissing many of the valid concerns raised by residents in the past six months, and that there was little faith that basic things like an environmental or health safety impact statement would be prepared before the proposal is finalised. Furthermore, alternative sites are known to be available in industrial areas around Melbourne, and it would appear to be much cheaper, quicker and less intrusive for the power companies to locate their new facility in these areas rather than in a residential area adjacent to the Merri Creek.

While the resident group has taken part in five formal meetings, and many more hours of discussions with representatives from the power companies and other local authorities, it was felt that none of the alternative options being proposed for the Brunswick site would satisfy resident concerns about the environmental, health and amenity impacts of the new development. We are therefore urging all residents to similarly make their opposition to the project known, through the formal consultation processes put in place by the power companies (including a community consultation on Thursday 10 March) and by contacting their local members of Council and Parliament. Jane Garrett MP (Member for Brunswick) has already raised the issue in State Parliament and is following this up with the new Minister for Energy and Resources.

More details about the campaign to oppose this development will be made available on the blogsite, http://powergridsolutions.blogspot.com/ in coming weeks.

ADVANCE NOTICE - Community Meeting - Monday 7 February

The power companies are currently preparing new plans for expanding the Brunswick Terminal Station - and while we might have knocked the 'sea of pylons' idea on the head, there is still a long way to go to ensure that the new development is sensitive to the local environment and residents needs.

Come along and be part of a better solution for the Brunswick Terminal Station. We are organising a community meeting for Monday 7 February at 7.30pm, to be held at the Merri Creek Primary School (cnr of Ida and Miller Sts, North Fitzroy). Make sure you put this date in your diary and start talking to your neighbours about it. A flyer will be distributed widely across the local community closer to the date.

If you would like to be actively involved in organising the meeting or in the campaign more broadly, please contact Chris Black on 0417 386 535.

Hip-hip Hooray! A win for the local community.

After a lot of advocacy from Jane Garrett and Fiona Richardson, Labor has decided to intervene in the Brunswick Terminal Station issue.

The ALP has just announced this afternoon, Monday, that a returned Brumby Government will examine the feasibility of alternatives to the current site & design. Post election, the incoming Minister for Energy's office will look at all the options and think creatively about how the Government can use its powers and land bank etc to get an outcome in everyone's interest. Let's hope alternative sites will be seriously looked at (not necessarily just the old Whelans tip site).

This is a real win for the Merri Creek community, surrounding areas and users of the creek valley.

This opens up the opportunity for the facility to be relocated entirely and provides further impetus for our campaign.

The Government has finally accepted that the existing "consultation" process is going to deliver a bumpy ride for everyone & that if it comes to the table with an open mind it can balance the competing interests.

Hip-hip Hooray!

LABOR TO GUARANTEE COMMUNITY INPUT INTO BRUNSWICK TERMINAL STATION REDEVELOPMENT

08/11/2010

Minister for Energy and Resources Peter Batchelor said today that a future Brumby Labor Government would work with all parties involved in the upgrade to the Brunswick Terminal Station to examine alternatives.

Mr Batchelor said that Labor Candidate for Brunswick Jane Garrett and Member for Northcote Fiona Richardson had made spirited representations on behalf of local residents concerned about the visual appearance, height of the proposed upgrade and the impact on local parklands.

“It is important to balance out the needs of the local community with the need for a secure energy supply able to meet the demands of a growing population,” Mr Batchelor said.
While the upgrade of the Brunswick Terminal Station has been planned for some time to boost the supply of power to the CBD, a community backlash earlier this year had forced energy companies CitiPower and SP AusNet to rethink plans to build a dozen 25 metre steel towers at its site along the Merri Creek in Brunswick East.
Labor Candidate for Brunswick Jane Garrett said that the local community and activists that had rallied around the upgrade of the Brunswick Terminal Station issue wanted a say in the design and were keen that alternatives were seriously considered.

“Local people feel passionate about Brunswick as a place to live and the Merri Creek and the green spaces are a real treasure,” Ms Garrett said.

“I welcome the commitment from the Minister for Energy and Resources that a future Brumby Labor Government will mediate the local community’s desire for public open spaces and sensitive urban planning with the critical importance of maintaining continuity of electricity supply for Melbourne.”

Ms Garrett said she would also take up the issue with Federal Minister Martin Ferguson who has oversight of the Australian Energy Market Operator, the planner for the Victorian electricity transmission network.

The upgrade is needed to give Melbourne a robust and secure power network and to minimise the risk of widespread outages. An engineer’s report found that two outages in 2001 in the Melbourne CBD that affected tens of thousands of customers, and cost millions of dollars to the economy, would have been avoided had the proposed upgrade to the electricity network been made.

MP urges power companies to consider residents plan

The Family Fun Day on 10/10/10 was a huge success with around 800 residents turning up throughout the afternoon to support the "Parks Not Pylons" campaign. It was a fantastic show of community spirit and demonstrates how passionate everyone is about getting a good outcome from the Brunswick Terminal Station upgrade.

Kelvin Thomson, Federal Member for Wills, spoke at the event and urged the power companies and regulators to seriously consider the alternate plan put forward by residents which would both place the new facility underground and open up more parkland for the community. He spoke about pressure on the local infrastructure with increased multi-unit housing in the area, and the urgent need for additional recreational space for Moreland residents.

Other politicians who attended included Jane Garrett (Mayor of Yarra and ALP candidate for Brunswick), Cyndi Dawes (Green candidate for Brunswick), Fiona Richardson (Member for Northcote), Anne Martinelli (Green candidate for Northcote), Greg Barber (Greens MLC), Cr Trent McCarthy (Darebin) and Cr Jo Conellan (Moreland). Thanks to them all for making the time to come along on a Sunday afternoon.

Singapore Power Ausnet, CitiPower and the Australian Energy Market Operator sent along a contingent of staff to talk to residents and explain their plans for a proper community consultation process. They said everyone in the local area should be receiving a newsletter and 'feedback form' in coming days so all residents should ensure they make their views known. Many thanks to all those who donated their time, energy and resources to the day - including Frank Woodley for being such an excellent MC, all those bands who entertained the crowds, the sausage sizzlers, face painters and all the behind the scenes crew who made it happen.

The Merri Creek Community Group will ensure that everyone who has signed up to this blog keeps getting regular updates on progress, so please encourage any of your neighbours or other supporters to sign up now. Thanks again to this wonderful community for being so supportive of the campaign to date - without you, futures generations would have been left the legacy of a sea of pylons and not the range of credible alternative solutions we now have on the table.

Family Fun Day - HUGE Political Line-up

Only 5 days to go until our big community rally and fun day this Sunday - and we need to ensure there is a big crowd to make their views known to the politicians from all levels of government that we have coming along.

Firstly, Adam Bandt the new Greens member for Melbourne (pictured right - is this his first local appearance since being elected??) and Kelvin Thomson (pictured left), the re-elected ALP member for Wills. They will hopefully give us some idea what our federal representatives can do to help keep the pylons OFF the table and get a more community focused solution on the BTS site.

And with the State Election looming in only six weeks, we have Fiona Richardson (Member for Northcote), Carlo Carli (retiring Member for Brunswick), Greg Barber (Greens member in the Upper House), and a whole host of candidates (Jane Garrett - ALP for Brunswick, Cyndi Dawes - Greens for Brunswick, Anne Martinelli - Greens for Northcote) coming along to hear the community's views.

Last but not least, we have representatives from three local Councils (Moreland, Yarra and Darebin) pledging to attend to hear what community members have to say. Make sure you, and all your family friends and colleagues, come along to make this a memorable occasion.

Fun starts at 12pm - serious stuff at 1pm - and continues throughout the afternoon.