Powerlink has worked with landholders and other stakeholders to ensure that our land access and engagement practices are aligned with landholder expectations. This valuable landholder and stakeholder feedback has helped guide the development of our Land Access Protocol (LAP) and Project Participation and Access Allowance (PPAA) initiatives.
For landholders, the LAP and PPAA provide several benefits which will strengthen landholder relationships and communication over the life of our assets. These include:
- earlier identification and recognition of landholder issues and potential impacts of
new infrastructure - clearer expectations and guidelines for land access
- better land, social and environmental outcomes through sharing information and knowledge.
Read the Land Access brochure for an overview of Powerlink's land access approach.
Powerlink's Land Access Protocol (LAP) has been developed to inform landholders of the standards and commitments Powerlink will adhere to when accessing properties for the range of activities associated with determining a route, and constructing and maintaining electricity transmission assets. We developed the LAP in consultation with landholders and stakeholders. It underpins our ongoing commitment to developing and maintaining respectful and cooperative relationships with landholders.
The LAP is being implemented progressively across Powerlink’s projects and transmission network, which involves engaging with landholders and updating our processes involved with land access and landholder relations.
It is our intention to provide and discuss the LAP with landholders. We also welcome information from landholders about their property, and the LAP can be used to document property-specific information agreed between Powerlink and the landholder.
When Powerlink needs to acquire a new high voltage transmission line easement or substation site, we ask potentially affected landholders for access to their properties for investigations and consultation to allow an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be completed.
We recognise that engaging with us may interrupt landholders in carrying out activities on their property that contribute to their income. In recognition of this potential interruption to agricultural business activities and the landholder’s cooperation, we developed a Project Participation and Access Allowance (PPAA), which is available to eligible landholders who are engaged in deriving their primary income from the property, and who meet the criteria explained in our PPAA information sheet. The PPAA doesn't apply to land zoned residential or rural residential as these properties are not typically used for income-producing activities.
Powerlink will consider whether the allowance is applicable to other transmission projects where engagement and land access activities interrupt landholders from primary production activities within the property that contribute to the landholder’s primary income.
Read our Project Participation and Access Allowance for landholders brochure.