Rural
3 September, 2026
Transgrid needs to cough up the cash: Culhane
Mayor Paul Culhane has described the impact of the HumeLink project on the Upper Lachlan Shire as “stark and undeniable” and has called for the community to be compensated accordingly.
Mayor Paul Culhane has described the impact of the HumeLink project on the Upper Lachlan Shire as “stark and undeniable” and has called for the community to be compensated accordingly.
Cr Culhane used a Notice of Motion at council’s August meeting to renew calls for a HumeLink Host Council Community Benefit Program with an annual compensation payment of $10,000 per kilometre of transmission line for the 33-year life of the project.
Almost one third of the 365km-long transmission line – approximately 103km – runs through the Upper Lachlan.
Cr Culhane said the compensation could be used to support roads, bridges, drainage, water and sewerage infrastructure, emergency services, swimming pools, sporting facilities, community halls, childcare, health services, tourism infrastructure, parks and other essential community assets.
HumeLink – one of the state’s largest energy infrastructure projects – is being delivered by Transgrid at a cost of almost $5 billion.
It consists of a 500kV transmission line connecting Wagga Wagga, Barnaby and Maragle and is designed to connect the Snowy 2.0 Hydro expansion and renewable energy from the South West Renewable Energy Zone to major demand centres like Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle.
Cr Culhane said NSW Government funding had been flowing to Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) communities yet the five local government areas impacted by HumeLink were missing out because they were outside the REZ.
“Our communities are hosting infrastructure that is every bit as important to the State’s energy transition as the infrastructure within the Renewable Energy Zones.
“We should not be treated as second-class host communities.”
Cr Culhane fears time is running out with HumeLink scheduled for completion next year.
“If a benefit sharing arrangement is not established now, our communities risk carrying the permanent impacts of HumeLink for decades without receiving and corresponding long-term payment.”
In a community update posted to Facebook, Cr Culhane said there needed to be substantial compensation given the enormous impact of Transgrid towers “right through the middle of our shire that will be there forever and a day”.
Cr Culhane said Transgrid had already acknowledged the impact of the project on property owners along the route and had offered them $10,000 per kilometre for the life of the project.
“All we are asking is that the same amount be paid to our shire and the other four shires impacted,” he said.
“We think we deserve – our residents deserve – some compensation for the impact on their amenity.”
Cr Culhane said $10,000 was a “very small amount” compared to the overall budget for the project.
“We would like Transgrid to step up and honour that payment,” he said.
“We have the support of people like (Minister for Climate Change, Energy and Environment) Penny Sharpe and (Premier) Chris Minns who agree with our argument, so let’s just make it happen and do something worthwhile for the community in response to the impact.”
The four other councils impacted by the HumeLink Project – Snowy Valleys, Wagga Wagga City, Cootamundra-Gundagai and Yass Valley – are also advocating for compensation.
Cr Culhane said compensation would “mean the world” to the small regional communities being asked to host the infrastructure.
“The electricity transported through HumeLink will support New South Wales for decades.
“The communities carrying the impact deserve to share fairly in its benefits for decades as well.”
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