Donna Jones
Protestors against the preferred corridor of high powered transmission lines from the Borumba Pumped Hydro Project to the Woolooga Substation, have had their protest signs returned, according to an email from the Department of Transport and Main Roads, leaked by the group.
The email was issued to Kilkivan Action Group representative Katy McCallum from Senior Advisor for TMR Michael Chambers.
The email, sent on Friday, 2 June, said the protest signs were removed by Gympie Regional Council workers at the specific request of TMR.
“The Kilkivan Action Groups protest signs that were removed by TMR from the Wide Bay Highway road corridor have been left at Gympie Regional Council’s Kilkivan depot this morning (Friday, 2 June) to make it easier for group members to collect,” Mr Chalmers wrote.
“Collection will need to be done during business hours (which I believe is Mon – Fri 8:30 to 4:30) but members may need to
check these times.
“Can I also ask that group members not take out their anger regarding the sign removal on GRC staff as council were only acting at TMR’s request.,” he said.
Gympie Today had asked for an official response from TMR regarding the removal of the signs for our story last week, however TMR were unable to meet deadline at the time.
Ms McCallum felt the sign removal fight was an unnecessary distraction for the group.
“It’s safe to say that we’ve all come to the opinion that although this was a fight that we would win (Trespass and Stealing complaints to the Minister and Police), it is a more worthy cause pouring our energy into continuing our fight against Powerlink and reinforcing our stance of Keeping Our Gates Locked to Powerlink and Refusing to Accept Paperwork (ie Notices to Enter),” she said.
In related news, Nanango State MP Deb Frecklington will be writing to the Minister for Energy, Mick de Brenni, requesting answers to questions posed by KAG, the MP’s office has said.
The group claims two major questions remained unanswered by Powerlink: construction cost estimates that helped Powerlink decide which corridor they preferred and a step-by-step guide to the multi-parcel land acquisition process Powerlink intends to follow.
An email from Ms Frecklington’s office said she would be drafting a letter in coming days and they would be sending a copy to KAG for their records.