While TasNetworks has been distributing holiday newsletters wishing the community a “safe and joyful holiday season,” landholders affected by the North West Transmission Developments (NWTD) project have instead received formal notification that their land may be forcibly acquired.
These residents were informed that failure to voluntarily sign a Licence and Easement Option Agreement (LEOA) by approximately 14 January 2026 will result in TasNetworks invoking the Land Acquisition Act 1993 to obtain necessary electricity easements. This move to commence the statutory acquisition process just weeks after Christmas has sparked significant distress among property owners who feel the timing and the use of compulsory powers contradict the company’s public-facing holiday sentiments.
Media release – Craig Garland, Independent for Braddon, 18 December 2025
Liberal Minister and TasNetworks fail to get consent from landowners
Craig Garland was recently informed by phone by Nick Duigan, Minister for Energy & Renewables, that landowners would be receiving a letter, with the deadline of 14 January 2026 to reach an agreement with TasNetworks for electricity easements relating to the NWTD project.
In a copy of the letter that has since been provided to Garland, ‘TasNetworks’ 9 December 2025 letter to landowners – North West Transmission Development (NWTD) – easement acquisition timeline’, it states “TasNetworks is currently scheduled to commence construction of the NWTD Project in the first quarter of 2026. To enable TasNetworks to meet this important timeframe, if TasNetworks is unable to reach agreement with you on the terms of a LEOA (Licence and Easement Option Agreement), it will be necessary for TasNetworks to commence the statutory process to acquire an easement over your property in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act 1993.”
Garland finds it very difficult to believe Duigan, who, on the one hand told the public Duigan hopes for zero compulsory acquisition, yet just a few weeks later is now allowing TasNetworks to proceed down this pathway of forcibly acquiring easements under the Land Acquisition Act.
Duigan has done little to address landowner concerns, choosing only to engage with landowners who have already agreed.
The Government could have minimised the impacts, minimised the costs, but the Government has not done any of that.
The Government is just throwing communities in Braddon and Lyons under a bus and treating landowners with disrespect.
This loggerhead situation was avoidable and TasNetworks should not commence construction on the transmission project, especially now TasNetworks knows that the company does not have the consent of all landowners, with reports of still more than 40 separate landowners saying no.
TasNetworks needs to now go and find another route or abandon the project altogether.
The NWTD is not a necessary or essential project. The Liberal Government must use its power to intervene and stop what TasNetworks are doing.
The Liberal Party, which Duigan is a part of, is supposed to be the party that believes “in the inalienable rights and freedoms of all peoples; … work(ing) towards a lean government that minimises interference in our daily lives; and maximises individual and private sector initiative.”
If the Liberal Party does not intervene, it highlights just how little beliefs and values the party really has if the party allows TasNetworks to unnecessarily interfere in the daily lives of private landowners.
Tasmania’s Energy Future
Tasmanians do not need the NWTD or Marinus Link and the state cannot afford more debt as a state.
Electricity customers cannot afford power price increases.
The State Liberal Government is sending Tasmanians on a pathway which will make Tasmanians pay higher power prices to cover these project costs (and the eventual cost blowouts), impacting communities and the environment in the process.
Garland was recently reminded that if these projects are built, Marinus Link will be a regulated asset, along with the Basslink cable, which is set to become a regulated asset in July 2026. This means that Hydro Tasmania will have little to no control over what they charge for selling power.
All the ‘rivers of gold’ that will be flowing into the dams, Hydro Tasmania will have little to no control over the price.
It is a false assumption that Tasmanians are going to be seeing significant returns to Hydro Tasmania and it is a gamble the state cannot afford to take.
The Liberal Government had years to consider alternate energy visions for Tasmania but failed.
The government could have demanded the Federal Government pay for Marinus Link and the NWTD, so Tasmanians did not have to foot the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars for these awful projects.
The Government could have even proposed alternate transmission routes and forced Marinus Link to be undergrounded in Tasmania, which is what is happening for 90km of the on-land route length in Victoria.
The Government could have focused on a sensitive, staged construction of the proposed 10,500-gigawatt hour Whaleback Ridge wind farm on the West Coast, enabling Tasmania to still reach the legislated 200% renewable energy target and avoid the construction of unnecessary transmission lines and wind farms all across Tasmania.
The Government could have and can still listen to the community, who are suggesting many other energy solutions for Tasmania into the future.
One thing that has been consistent is the widespread community opposition to wind farms and major transmission lines proposals.
The proposals are simply not welcome, and communities from across Tasmania’s northern electorates of Braddon, Lyons & Bass continue to band together to fight these absurd proposals.
Communities are sick of being treated like the poor cousins, thrown crumbs, and small change, but really paying an arm and a leg to benefit the mainland, to host energy infrastructure that is not wanted.
Garland calls on Nick Duigan and Premier Jeremy Rockliff to listen to the community, to intervene now, and stop the NWTD project immediately.
Media release – Kim Phillips-Haines, Principal Petitioner, Tas Power Democracy, 18 December 2025
TasNetworks Ruins Christmas for NWTD-affected Landowners, Warns of Forcibly Acquiring Easements over Land
TasNetworks’ December 2025 newsletter cheerfully proclaims: “Wishing you a safe and joyful holiday season and a bright start to the new year!”
It is therefore all the more ironic that shortly before Christmas, landholders affected by the proposed North West Transmission Developments (NWTD) project received a letter from TasNetworks informing the landholders that if the landholders do not voluntarily sign a Licence and Easement Option Agreement (LEOA) granting TasNetworks access and electricity easements over the land, then on or around 14 January 2026, TasNetworks will formally commence the process to obtain the easements using the Land Acquisition Act.
The letter also noted that, “Authority has recently been granted for TasNetworks to use these powers for the NWTD Project.”
The letter from TasNetworks was a source of considerable distress for some property owners.
“It’s horrible receiving this just before Christmas. It’s literally ruined the good vibes that are supposed to come with this time of year,” said Terry Chandler, an affected landholder in Stowport.
“TasNetworks makes me feel like I’m being bullied by a bunch of thugs, and that is not okay.”
Sheffield farmers Helen Rockliff and Wade Rockliff also expressed disappointment.
Helen Rockliff and Wade Rockliff said that the farmers received the letter from TasNetworks on the 12th of December, less than two weeks before Christmas, but noted that the farmers “were not surprised” given the past behaviour of TasNetworks.
“It seems to be their modus operandi,” Rockliff said.
“They are well aware that farmers are extremely busy this time of year, as they have done the same on other occasions during this process.”
According to Chandler, a further source of stress for Chandler was that just a few weeks previously, TasNetworks had unexpectedly changed the route of the proposed transmission line to run closer to the middle of the property, increasing the negative impact on the land, and that TasNetworks refused to negotiate about moving the line, unlike for larger farmers.
“Because I’m a small parcel of land, they think they can walk all over me,” Chandler said.
“It also feels like they have no compassion for the damages they would inflict on my business and my future nest egg, this land which I’ve invested everything into. It’s a really sad time for me at this point.”
Instead of addressing Chandler’s underlying concerns, TasNetworks in its letter merely acknowledged that “this process can be stressful” and encouraged Chandler to reach out to the ‘Rural Alive & Well’ (RAW) mental health and wellbeing support service.
Such advice gives little comfort to landowners such as Shane Foley in Nook, who expressed concerns not only over the potential land devaluation and “major eyesores” that the massive, sixty-metre transmission line towers stand to create on the property, but also the harm that the NWTD and Marinus projects pose to Tasmania as a whole.
“Tasmanians will be faced with a huge debt for many years,” Foley said.
“Marinus will encourage many developers to further devalue land and cause environmental damage by constructing wind towers, solar farms and battery storage in areas which are unsuitable. Project Marinus will destroy Tasmania.”
Craig Garland observed that Energy Minister Nick Duigan “has done little to address landowner concerns, choosing only to engage with landowners who have already agreed. The Government could have minimised the impacts, minimised the costs, but they haven’t done any of that. They’re just throwing communities in Braddon and Lyons under a bus and treating landowners with disrespect.
“This loggerhead situation was avoidable and TasNetworks should not commence construction on the transmission project, especially now they know that they don’t have the consent of all landowners, with reports of still more than 40 separate landowners saying no.”
TasNetworks’ logo features the words, “Powering a Bright Future”. But a bright future for whom?… Who will pay the costs, and who will reap the benefits?
Rockliff expressed her views clearly on this point: “The sad thing about the NWTD/Marinus project is that Tasmanians will receive very little benefit, yet will have to pay the billions of dollars in costs. Meanwhile the foreign owned renewable energy companies, who benefit the most, pay absolutely nothing.”
Affected landowner Debbie Connelly shared similar concerns, saying, “Tasmania will get no benefit from the Marinus Link, we will just pay for it.”
Tasmanian Times (TT) is a community-based news and current affairs service covering the island state of Tasmania. It exists to provide a diverse presentation of Tasmanian issues. TT creates and supports independent media content utilising the best of modern technologies and tried-and-true practices of public-interest journalism.
Support us in expanding our coverage and developing new content by and for Tasmanians.
New initiatives on the way include … what our contributors and readers suggest! Please get in touch with your suggestions.
