Neighbouring landholders are landholders who do not have a proposed easement on their property but live close to the proposed route.
Neighbouring landholders
Near Neighbour Benefit Program
AusNet is introducing a Near Neighbour Benefit Program for residents living close to the proposed Western Renewables Link (WRL), reflecting a strong commitment to community feedback and fair recognition of local communities.
Eligible landholders with a place of residence within one kilometre of the proposed transmission line easement may receive a one-off payment of $20,000 or $40,000, depending on proximity.
The program aligns with the draft VicGrid policy and will be updated to reflect the final version expected from VicGrid later in 2025.
This initiative acknowledges that neighbouring landholders often share similar experiences to those directly hosting infrastructure and provides financial recognition of the important role they play in delivering critical infrastructure.
Payments will be made if the WRL project is approved and when construction begins. If the project receives the required approvals to proceed, eligible near neighbours will be able to apply for payments via this website.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the Near Neighbour Benefit Program or other landholder and community initiatives, please get in touch.
While we have a proposed route that will be presented in the Environment Effects Statement, the route for the Western Renewables Link will not be finalised until the Minister for Planning issues their assessment of the proposed project’s environmental effects under the Environment Effects Act 1978 (Vic). The Environment Effects Statement process must be complete, and Victorian and Commonwealth approvals must be obtained, including approval of the planning scheme amendment, before the route is finalised and construction of the transmission line can begin.
Additional resources
