New name but situation normal (SNAFU)

On Saturday, 18th October 2008 Western Power announced ‘Powering Perth’s Communities’ in which it outlined the formation of a focus group to work with Western Power to determine the outcome of Phase 1 (the tie –in) of the Eastern Terminal project.  The advertisement directs readers to the Western Power website for further information and a nomination form for membership of the focus group. Applications close on 31st October 2008.

The SETS group wishes to protest in the strongest possible terms that this latest announcement has occurred without any agreement as to the engagement model, as promised in Mark De Laeter's presentation to the Kalamunda Shire at the Planning Council meeting on 11th August, attended by 80 community members.

Are you feeling confused?  You should be.

1. The "Gantry" appears to have been renamed.  It seems to be referred to as a "tie-in" (Phase 1), requiring a "focus group". In a similar fashion the Eastern Terminal "Substation" was apparently downgraded to a "switchyard".
2. The process of determining where the Eastern Terminal "switchyard" will go now appears to be referred to as the "Powering Perth's Communities" project. As documented on this website, for over 20 years, Western Power have always planned to put an Eastern Terminal in Hackett's Gully, Kalamunda.  Their current website states that their plans are still to upgrade the transmission line from Collie to the Kalamunda area.

So the situation is predominately the same, but this time with no detail.

What should we NOT do as a community?

We should NOT accept Western Power's invitation to be part of their "Focus Group". 

The Corporation has no right to ask you such personal questions in order for you to join their focus group. 

The Corporation has no right to require you to sign an undertaking to work with Western Power to determine the best solution for Phase 1 of the ‘Powering Perth’s Communities’ project, when it is unclear that Phase 1 is the right solution. This clearly excludes most of the 600 community members who submitted objections to Western Power’s ‘Site Selection Process’ paper in the failed first round of consultation.

Your alarm bells should be ringing.

What can we DO as a community?

The most important thing you can do is to write or visit your local or State MP, to express your concern.  Politicians receive lots of emails and letters.  When a local voter takes the time to meet for a face-to-face visit, then they are much more likely to listen - especially considering our recent State election.

Click here if you want to learn more about how to send a powerful message.

Western Power have announced that the submission period is to be extended to the 31st July 2008!

Worryingly, Western Power have also been critical of what they called “automated and generic submissions”.   Western Power made these criticisms on it's website recently.  It is suggested by Western Power that these letters (painstakingly set up so that people can have their own say on their concerns about the submission process) do not accurately reflect individual circumstances and opinion of the community.

Clearly Western Power is not reading your letters, or the comments you are writing on the bottom of them.  The irony is that it was Western Power’s horrifically constructed “Site Selection Process Paper” and unreasonably short comment period that prompted the SETS Group to set up a tool for the community to properly and quickly reflect the community’s concerns.

Obviously Western Power is getting the message that the community powerfully rejects its attempt to solely base the site selection to the Kalamunda state forest and Priority 1 water catchment area.  Do you think Western Power really thought the community wouldn’t see what they were trying to do through its “Site Selection Process Paper”?

You still have time to have your say, so please, if you haven’t had a chance yet, or if you know of someone who is equally concerned (after all the state forests belong to all Western Australians), please forward them our website link and ask them to use the wizard, write their thoughts at the end and show Western Power that Eastern Terminal is not needed!

Remember, you can have your say by posting your comments under this article!

Those of you who drive down Mundaring Weir Road or other parts of Kalamunda, may have noticed the SETS Group’s signs around the area. The SETS Group has been trying to make local people and the visitors to the area aware of the Eastern Terminal and the threat it poses to the forest in Kalamunda/Mundaring. But our signs are being systematically stolen!

Signs appearing on the boundary of private properties have vanished in the night. One can only wonder WHO would benefit from removing these signs from public view and public awareness.

Our right to free speech and protest is being stolen away, and people are angry. One property owner was shocked that someone was so brazen as to sneak onto their property and remove what is essentially private property.

As Western Power attempts to keep the devastating size implications of the Eastern Terminal under wraps, these signs are a vital way of informing and reminding the public of the impending threat to us all.

Please, if you notice someone removing these signs, let us know on our contact page, and we will ask the police to investigate the theft. Help us, help you.

On the 13 February 2008, Western Power arranged a meeting with residents of Bahen Road, Hackett’s Gully, to finally inform them about the construction of the proposed Gantry.  Despite Western Power’s previous assurances: “including full and proper consultation with the general public and local community” and “formally advise all the landowners whose properties are in the immediate vicinity of the site about the proposal” they chose to inform the residents of Hackett's Gully after they issued a press statement.  This also meant that they chose not to conduct the meeting in a "consulting manner" but rather an "informing manner ".

What is of great concern to the SETS Group is Western Power’s lack of commitment to consult with the general public and local community about this development.  Mundaring Weir Road is the environmental link between Kalamunda and Mundaring Weir precinct, and is a popular tourist route that attracts income to local businesses.  The development of further electrical “eye sores” in this area is abhorrent both to local residents and the broader community.

A spokesperson for the residents stated “We are extremely disappointed that a deal has been done” and when asked what they would have wanted if they had been consulted by Western Power, the spokesperson stated “Residents at the meeting indicated that if they had a choice, it wouldn’t go ahead.” 

A recent newspaper article in the Hills Gazette (16/02/08) made reference to a letter from Western Power to Hackett's Gully residents dated 9 May 2002.  The letter stated “Following a review of the long term electrical load requirements for the east metropolitan area, we wish to advise that a terminal substation will no longer required at Location 3897 Mundaring Weir Road, Hackett’s Gully.  We also have no intention to acquire an alternative site in areas close to Hackett’s Gully as previously advised.”  The spokesperson for the residents also stated “We feel that we’ve been let down.  Big dollars have been invested here by some residents and that has been put in jeopardy.” 

In Western Power's media release (7 February 2008) they describe the "temporary" gantry as "Four transmission structures, considting of one tower, two poles and a gantry...".  Mr Ian Buchanan of Western Power, went on to say "The Gantry will enable interconnection with the high voltage network allowing for a delay, in the short term, on the construction of Eastern Terminal.  Once Eastern Terminal is developed the Gantry will be removed, as will one of the poles."  Members of the SETS Group, asked the Project Officer, Mr Adrain Stubbings, if by that statement from the press release, Western Power had selected Hackett's Gully as the site for the Eastern Terminal sub-station.  His reply was, "Western Power have not yet selected a site."  Mr Stubbings was then asked what would happen to the Gantry if Western Power decided not to proceed with the Eastern Terminal sub-station?  His reply was "The Gantry will then remain in place for good."

Spokesperson for the SETS Group, Dr Alan Lonsdale, added “The issue has been very stressful, causing a number of Hackett’s Gully residents to move out because of the unresolved threat of a substation.”  If you read our History of Hackett’s Gully and Western Power page, you will understand the residents’ frustration and that Western Power has had them walking on egg shells for some 11 years.  It is important that everyone in the community shows their support for the Hackett’s Gully residents by informing themselves about the history of this project.  It is also important for residents to be aware that there is a serious lack of ethics involved in Western Power’s tactics.  If you want to help the residents, you can write a personal letter to the Ombudsman complaining of their lack of consultation about the gantry development.  You can also further assist by writing to Alan Carpenter and Fran Logan, asking them to set up an ethics committee into the past and present actions of Western Power.

Western Power released a press statement on 7 February 2007 announcing that the proposed Eastern Terminal substation will be delayed for 12 months, providing "the community with more time to be involved in the site selection."

The main thrust of the article was to inform the community of plans to building a temporary structure, called a gantry, to interconnect with their high voltage network enabling a delay to the Eastern Terminal project.  This gantry would be erected near the corner of Mundaring Weir and Bahen Roads, Hackett’s Gully east of Kalamunda.  Western Power's Mr Ian Buchanan stated “This is the only 1 site that allowed the structures to be located outside National Parks, away from private property and minimised the social and environmental impact.”

He further stated, “To allow additional time to consult with residents in the hills Western Power will develop the SET first.”   SET stands for South Eastern Terminal (near Byford).  We note this with concern, as it again changes Western Power’s stance on what they need to do to secure power for Perth; now stating that two substations are required to provide for Perth’s power needs. This was not the scenario presented to the community in October and to the many organisations, including the Shire of Kalamunda, who requested separate information sessions with Western Power officials. At that time Western Power identified 10 options to provide transmission solutions to power supply constraints. These were presented as an ‘either/or’ solution rather than an ‘either/and’ solution.  Mr Buchanan also stated that, “The development of SET in Byford will not alleviate the need for the ET project.  Both projects were in Western Power’s future plans, it was just a matter of deciding which was developed first.”

SETS Group released a press statement on 7 February 2007

Dr Alan Lonsdale, the Group Convenor, referring to the proposal for a temporary gantry, stated “This is not an “innovative solution”, as we believe from studying Western Power’s reports that such a development is not urgent.”  This is in line with the Group’s understanding that Western Power has planned the development of ET for the past 18 years.  He further underpinned this statement by reporting that the Eastern Terminal substation project was not even mentioned in Western Power’s Transmission and Distribution Annual Planning Report for 2007.

Dr Lonsdale went on to say “Our belief is that Western Power’s preferred site is still in Hackett’s Gully”.  This was the area Western Power has been trying to secure a piece of the State Forest to house Eastern Terminal in for all of those years.  This is extremely concerning for the residents of Hackett’s Gully as Western Power had ruled out Hackett’s Gully in May 2002, in a letter in which they state “Following a review of the long term electrical load requirements for the east metropolitan area, we wish to advise that a terminal station is no longer required at Location 3897 Mundaring Weir Road, Hackett’s Gully. We also have no intention to acquire an alternative site in areas close to Hackett’s Gully as previously advised.”

Dr Lonsdale went on to say “This latest development graphically illustrates the community’s concerns, as there has been no advice to or consultation with residents of Hackett’s Gully.”  The SETS Group wrote to the Managing Director of Western Power on 3/12/2007 formally complaining about Western Power's community consultation process.  A reply has still not been received.

In that letter, the SETS Group requested:

Accordingly, as a matter of urgency and for the reasons outlined in this letter, we formally request

(a) that decisions concerning the specific location and the construction of the proposed terminal substation are deferred until adequate consultation with the community has occurred, and the matters raised in our forthcoming submission are considered,

(b) that Western Power recommences the consultation process, ensuring that all key stakeholders are consulted, all relevant information is provided in documents that are readily available to stakeholders, and adequate time is available for consultation,

(c) that the process is such as to ensure that sustainability assessment and stakeholder engagement are integrated with planning processes, and

(d) that the SETS Action Group is provided with early advice on the revised timetable for decision making and planning for this project.

In summing up the SETS Group’s reaction to Western Power’s announcement, Dr Lonsdale reported that the Group was greatly disappointed that there has been no reply from the Managing Director but, along with directly affected residents, have learned about this latest development through the media.

The SETS Group is left to conclude that Western Power has no intention of genuinely consulting with the general community.