Why Our Politicians Are Failing on Transmission Megaprojects

Something is broken in the way Australia makes big decisions — especially when it comes to the rapid rollout of energy infrastructure. Communities across Australia are asking the same question: when did our elected representatives stop listening?

In recent years, a wave of mega transmission projects has swept across Australia — including Western Renewables Link, VNI West, HumeLink and Marinus Link. These billion-dollar undertakings are being sold to the public as critical for decarbonisation and energy security.

But beneath the glossy brochures and photo ops lies a darker truth: these projects are being forced through despite deep concerns from experts, landholders, environmentalists and entire regional communities.

And we have to ask — why?

These projects are not universally viable. Independent analysis has raised serious questions about their cost, timing, environmental impact and actual necessity in a future powered by distributed energy. Community members who live and work on the land — the very people who will be displaced or disrupted — have pushed back, armed with evidence, logic and lived experience.

And yet, time and again, they are ignored.

Why is it that politicians appear more interested in cutting red ribbons than in crafting energy policy that genuinely serves people and place?

The answer is uncomfortable, but clear. Australia’s political system is increasingly geared toward short-term political wins over long-term public good. Mega projects make for good headlines. They’re a visible sign of action — a “solution” that can be announced, branded and sold as nation-building.

It doesn’t matter if the project is flawed or contested. It doesn’t even matter if better alternatives exist. What matters is the appearance of progress.

Meanwhile, consultation processes have become performative. Communities are invited to submit feedback after key decisions have already been made. Meetings are held, notes are taken and then the machine rolls on — unchanged.

Public engagement is now a checkbox exercise, not a genuine attempt to align with the values and needs of the people.
This is not just a policy failure. It’s a democratic one.

If we’re serious about building a sustainable energy future, we need to do more than wire up the landscape. We need to rebuild trust. That starts with listening — not to consultants or corporate stakeholders, but to communities.

It means weighing evidence transparently, considering alternatives like distributed generation, battery storage and localised microgrids. It means being willing to stop or redesign projects when they don’t stack up.

The irony is that most Australians support the transition to renewables. But they want it done fairly, wisely, and collaboratively — not at the expense of farmland, forests or community wellbeing.

They want a future where public service means something again. Until that happens, the fight over transmission is not just about towers and wires.

It’s about how power is used — and who it’s really serving.

Darren Edwards is Director of the Energy Grid Alliance, a community-focused, independent initiative advocating for fair, transparent and environmentally responsible electricity transmission planning in Australia.

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