Media release – Tas Power Democracy, 20 January 2026
‘Legal Theft’: TasNetworks Begins Compulsory Acquisition, ‘Save Tasmania from Marinus Link’ Campaign Launched
As the first step in forcibly acquiring easements over property under the Land Acquisition Act, TasNetworks sent “Notice to Treat” letters on 14 January 2026 to some landholders affected by the proposed North West Transmission Developments (NWTD) project.
Describing the notice he received as a “Letter of destruction”, Stowport landowner Terry Chandler said that the planned easement will severely limit his ability to use his land. “It says that I’m unable to use my land to plant trees or build structures, so basically they are taking the right for me to farm away on part of my property,” he said. “The amount of compensation offered feels like I’m a victim of legal theft.”
Mr. Chandler was additionally left in a state of confusion and uncertainty in regards to TasNetworks’ precise plan for the transmission lines that are to be built on his property. The letter he received from TasNetworks specified two 60m-wide easements. However, according to Mr. Chandler, his liaison officer informed him the very next day that the easement was in fact to be 90m wide.
“Also, I was told they were moving the lines closer to the middle of my property, but the diagram does not show this,” Mr. Chandler said. “I’m disappointed with the misleading information throughout the entire process with Tasnetworks. The plan changes that much, I don’t have a clue what the actual damages are to my business and property.”
Helen Rockliff, a farmer in Sheffield, expressed disappointment at the seeming unconcern that she felt Tasmanian politicians demonstrated regarding the negative impacts of proposed energy projects.
“While the state politicians are holidaying and playing games at the Taste, or tootling around our beautiful countryside on their motorbikes, us farmers have been working long hours seven days a week during our busiest time of the year… only to be served with a notice of compulsory acquisition of our land,” Ms. Rockliff said.
“Of course, the foreign owned energy companies could not care less about the enormous debt burden on Tasmanians, or the higher power bills we will be forced to bear, or the decimation of our beautiful native birdlife – they don’t live here or raise families here. However, we would have thought that our elected representatives in the state government would care a great deal about these issues… it is crushingly disappointing that obviously money, greed and ego are far more important to most of our state politicians than the wellbeing of their constituents.”
The Burnie Council’s 9 December decision to approve the Marinus Link Development Application for two converter stations and a switching station has also led to community opposition. Two separate appeals were launched with the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) in response to the Council’s decision.
“Extreme negative impacts have been glossed over or completely ignored,” said Carran Doolan, one of the appellants. “We see we’re being treated as collateral damage. Overseas corporate interests reap the benefits, while the huge debt, risk and destruction is left with Tasmanian residents and our environment. […] We have been witnessing a dictating process rather than a democratic one.”
Carol-Ann Fletcher, who is also appealing the Burnie Council’s decision, expressed concerns that Marinus Link Pty Ltd had been granted a permit to build on the “very contaminated land” of the former Tioxide site and pointed out that the land “is contaminated with radiation and asbestos, a banned substance that is illegal in Tasmania”.
According to Ms. Fletcher, the greatest challenge in her TASCAT case was finding a way to pay for the substantial legal and other costs involved in appealing the Council’s decision.
“I feel the way TASCAT is set up, it is next to impossible for an ordinary Australian citizen like me to be able to legally appeal decisions like this made by the Burnie City Council or any local Council without costly representation most Tasmanian residents cannot afford,” she said.
Ms. Fletcher is currently in the process of urgently seeking a lawyer ahead of her TASCAT Preliminary Conference, which is scheduled for 27 January.
A ‘Save Tasmania from Marinus Link’ crowdfunding appeal has been started to “raise the funds needed to stop this monstrous, unnecessary project from going ahead”, as stated on the website.
Ms. Fletcher hopes that the money raised will cover the costs of lawyers’ fees and expert reports.
“The bottom line is that I cannot represent myself to TASCAT without serious legal help to fight Marinus Link,” she said. “I am not a lawyer, and I have no experience with fighting councils. I am also extremely aware that if I represent myself wrong and TASCAT considers my appeal to be vexatious, I could very easily be fined $100,000, which scares me. […] I cannot fight this appeal alone.”
