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Environment and Water | February 08, 2018

Powerline Replacement Fund

Victorian Parliament - 8 February 2018 - Ms KEALY — The Powerline Replacement Fund program provides financial support to assist with the removal of dangerous private overhead powerlines in high fire‑risk areas of Victoria, but inexplicably Labor has excluded Northern Grampians Shire Council from the last round of funding. The Grampians is a known high bushfire‑risk area and has experienced a number of significant bushfire events in recent years. Halls Gap itself is full of overhead powerlines. There is absolutely no sound reason for Northern Grampians to be excluded from the latest round of this important fire‑risk management program. With the application deadline of 28 February looming, the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change must immediately admit she got it wrong and