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
A website for local residents opposed to the building of a new 66kv Terminal station on the site of the existing Brunswick Terminal Station at 46 King St, Fitzroy North Vic 3068.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
COMMUNITY DECIDES TO FIGHT BTS EXPANSION PLANS
At a community meeting on Monday 7th 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
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.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, November 8, 2010
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
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.
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.
Monday, October 11, 2010
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
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.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Family Fun Day - entertainment line-up
Come and join in the fun on Sunday 10th October - and show your support for the Parks Not Pylons campaign. Venue is Sumner Park (home to the legendary Brunswick Zebras).
We have an awesome line-up of entertainment and activities for everyone from 12 noon. Our MC is the famously funny Frank Woodley (from Lano & Woodley) and local acts include:
Serious stuff happening around 1pm with local politicians and candidates for the upcoming State Election pledging to come along. We will be asking them to support the commuity in its campaign for a better solutino at the Brunswick Terminal Station. Don't miss this bit!
Tell your neighbours, tell your friends - tell anyone who cares about Merri Creek and the local environment and who wants a day of free entertainment in our special corner of the world. This is our one shot to get our voice heard and get something special for the community as part of the upgrade project.
For more information or to volunteer your services on the day, contact Ramon Colodetti on 0416 235 391 and keep an eye out on the blogspot for updates.
We have an awesome line-up of entertainment and activities for everyone from 12 noon. Our MC is the famously funny Frank Woodley (from Lano & Woodley) and local acts include:
Melbourne Ukelele Kollective (MUK)
Cowboy Cabaret
Spinifex Rose
Wendy Eayles
The Doubtfires
Serious stuff happening around 1pm with local politicians and candidates for the upcoming State Election pledging to come along. We will be asking them to support the commuity in its campaign for a better solutino at the Brunswick Terminal Station. Don't miss this bit!
Tell your neighbours, tell your friends - tell anyone who cares about Merri Creek and the local environment and who wants a day of free entertainment in our special corner of the world. This is our one shot to get our voice heard and get something special for the community as part of the upgrade project.
For more information or to volunteer your services on the day, contact Ramon Colodetti on 0416 235 391 and keep an eye out on the blogspot for updates.
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