Nine men have been charged for their alleged links to a syndicate behind a large-scale conspiracy to import tonnes of illicit drugs into the Australian state of

By DAVID BRAITHWAITE   THERE are questions over the future of a proposed $1.6 billion power transmission line. Premier Ben Carroll has ordered a cost review of the Western Renewables Link (WRL), the same day Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny approved the environmental effects statement for the project, a proposed 190-kilometre transmission line to connect renewable energy projects in western Victoria to the energy grid. Mr Carroll said the review aimed to reduce building costs, and there would be no compulsory acquisition of property while it was underway. “I respect the public’s money. This project was planned almost 10 years ago and Victorian consumers deserve updated, transparent costings,” Mr Carroll said. The news came a week after VicGrid announced Central North Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) will no longer go ahead as a result of further technical assessments and community consultation. The Central North REZ was proposed for an area between Bendigo, Shepparton and Echuca. With no new transmission projects planned and many generation projects already progressing in the area, VicGrid determined there was limited capacity on the grid to support a renewable energy zone. There are a significant number of solar generation projects already operating, approved or seeking connection in the region. This means it is likely most remaining capacity on the grid would be allocated before the new access regime associated with renewable energy zones is introduced. VicGrid has also received significant feedback from the community and regional stakeholders on the proposed zone, with concerns raised around issues including biodiversity, flooding and the significance of agricultural land in some areas of the zone. The VicGrid decision does not mean there won’t be renewable energy development in the area, with many solar and battery projects already well advanced. Projects that are currently underway will continue to work through planning and connections approvals processes. REZs are areas identified as the best places to host wind, solar and battery projects. In May, the state government formally declared five onshore REZs, including one between Sale and Moe, along with the Gippsland Shoreline REZ, which will host underground cables connecting wind farms in Bass Strait to the power grid. Back then, the government said consultation for the Central North REZ was continuing. Victorian Farmers Federation President Ryan Milgate said the VicGrid decision regarding the Central North zone was “a step in the right direction for the community and a recognition that landholders deserve to have a genuine say in decisions that affect their farms, their livelihoods and the future of their region”.  

Frederick Valentich went missing 45 minutes into a flight between Moorabbin Airport and King Island in southern Australia nearly 50 years ago.

By PHILIP HOPKINS   CARBON capture and storage has a big role to play in India’s energy transition, with even a small reduction in India’s emissions profile potentially removing more emissions from the atmosphere than Australia produces in a year. The chief executive of the CO2CRC, Dr Matthias Raab, made this comment after signing a major CCS deal with India. The Melbourne-based CO2CRC is researching CCS in Bass Strait as potential CO2 storage sites for emissions from Latrobe Valley energy and industry companies. The Melbourne researcher signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India’s Centre for CCS excellence, in a recent visit. The MoU acknowledged Australia’s leadership in CCS R&D and supported collaboration between the two countries. The development came as a leading US expert told a forum in Melbourne that as CCS moves from demonstration to commercial deployment, research and development will play a critical role in ensuring projects can scale safely with confidence and remain cost-effective. That was the central message of a presentation byProfessor Sally M. Benson, from Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability, on the importance of CCS R&D. Dr Raab said India had written CCS into its national development plan to 2047 and was moving quickly, with $3.7 billion in funding for its initial five-year plan. “We are now working to establish a deeper CCUS research partnership between Australia and India,” he said. “The concept builds on a successful model we previously put together: a trilateral collaboration of around $19 million among Australia, Japan and Korea, for which the Australian government approved funding in 2024.” Dr Raab said Australia’s two decades of CCS research and demonstration experience, combined with India’s plans, should advance CCS collaboration following the joint statement on energy security announced during Indian Prime Minister Modi’s Australian visit this month. “The statement recognised that maintaining stable, secure and reliable energy supply – including Australia’s supply to India of coal and natural gas – is vital to both economies. “And India recognises that continuing to use those fossil fuels in a sustainable manner means CCS must have a significant abatement role,” he said. The demand for CO2CRC’s experience and expertise beyond Australia’s borders is growing, but that work is anchored in Australia’s ongoing research, innovation and development work at home. Dr Raab said the CO2CRC’s Otway international test centre in western Victoria was unique in the world. “Since 2008, the facility has injected and monitored more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2, generating a body of storage field data unmatched anywhere,” he said. “That record continues to draw research partners from the United States, Japan, Korea, Germany and beyond to trial climate mitigation technologies in commercially relevant demonstrations through to 2027.” That was also highlighted at this month’s Carbon Capture APAC Summit in Melbourne. Professor Benson’s presentation highlighted the scale of the challenge ahead. Global CO₂ storage has grown steadily since 1996, but reaching climate-relevant levels will require a major increase in deployment. Professor Benson said several factors were essential to achieving commercial scale CO2 storage, including lower costs, investor confidence, public support and strong industrial capability. CO2CRC Business Development Director, Paul Barraclough, said CCS would not scale on ambition alone. “It will scale through practical research, field demonstration and the development of technologies that reduce cost, reduce risk and give industry, regulators and communities confidence in storage performance,” he said. Professor Benson identified five areas where R&D can make the greatest contribution: technology innovation to lower costs, risk reduction, expansion of the available storage resource, industrial competitiveness and capacity building. “Each of these areas is central to CO2CRC’s work, particularly through the Otway test centre, where researchers are able to test and validate technologies under real geological conditions,” he said. “This type of work is essential as CCS projects move toward larger hubs and more complex commercial operating environments. Field validation is what turns good science into deployable technology.” The presentation also highlighted the growing role of AI and advanced modelling in improving reservoir simulation, storage assurance and project performance prediction.

David Harris's ship bottomed out with 400 cattle on board at the end of last year, leading to a 12-hour wait for the next high tide. He wants a solution. 

A Tasmanian couple and their dog are missing after their light aircraft vanished without a trace over the Bass Strait on Saturday afternoon.

By PHILIP HOPKINS   A PACKED Traralgon Town Hall last Friday sent a big message: large numbers of Latrobe Valley and Gippsland businesses want to be part of the action for the construction of Marinus Link, the power and communications cable that will be built between Victoria and Tasmania. The cable will go under Bass Strait, coming ashore at Waratah Bay and travelling through the South Gippsland countryside, entering the Latrobe Valley near Mirboo North and connecting to the power grid at the former Hazelwood power station site. The Project Director for Marinus Link, Mike Carter, said it was fantastic to see such a strong turnout from local businesses, industry groups and community representatives. “Your active interest and involvement are absolutely critical to helping us maximise the benefits of Marinus Link to the local economy,” he told the gathering. A similar meeting was held in Leongatha on Thursday (December 3). The lead contractors for the project – Hitachi Energy, Prysmian, and the TasVic Greenlink joint venture – gave presentations about their role in Marinus Link and the skills they were looking for from Gippsland businesses. “Early works are planned to start in March next year,” Mr Carter said, emphasising that the meeting was the chance for businesses to apply for the work. He made “a special call out” to the Industry Capability Network team in Gippsland, headed by Colin Young. “They have been our key partners in local industry engagement and to make sure all of your details reach the right people at the right time,” he said. Mr Carter said Marinus Link aimed to combine Victoria’s wind and oversupply of daytime solar with Tasmania’s flexible hydropower and geographically diverse wind. “During the days when Victoria has an oversupply of renewables, Tasmania can import this lower-cost energy and conserve its hydro storage. Then, in the evening, when demand peaks in Victoria, Tasmania can export that stored hydro energy, providing value to both regions,” he said. “For Victoria, hydropower then displaces higher-priced peaking alternatives like gas, pushing down wholesale energy prices with a clean alternative.” Mr Carter said the capability in Gippsland was strong. “We want to make sure you’re all well-placed to compete for upcoming work packages. We know our lead contractors are already engaging with local businesses, and we’re seeing a real depth of capability across Gippsland and North West Tasmania,” he said. “We have a strong focus on maximising local content. However, there will be areas where local capacity can’t meet every requirement, and some elements of the works will need to be sourced more broadly. That’s the reality of a project of this scale and technology. “We are ensuring that we run an open, transparent process where every local business has equal access to information, and equal opportunity to put themselves forward, so together we can maximise the benefits of Marinus Link for the local economy.” Mr Carter said it had been a monumental year for Marinus Link, with several major approvals, decisions and contracts now locked in. Highlights included: * Positive final investment decisions in August from the shareholders – the Commonwealth, Tasmania and Victoria, followed by financial close with the debt provider – the Clean Energy Finance Corporation; * Together, these commitments completed the financing needs for Stage 1 of Marinus Link. This enabled the company to give notices to proceed to the technology suppliers – Prysmian for the cables and Hitachi Energy for the converters.; * Primary approvals under both Victorian and Commonwealth legislation, which were both major landmarks for the project; * The permit for the shore-crossing and submarine cables, with the end of the process near for the converter station permit, both under Tasmanian legislation; * Strengthening the relationship with Jacobs through the formation of an Integrated Delivery Team, ramping up resources and systems in preparation for construction; * Announcement of the preferred lead contractor for the civil and construction works – the TasVic Greenlink JV, a joint venture between DT Infrastructure and Samsung C&T, and; * The final milestones ahead are the final permits and the Australian Energy Regulator’s final revenue determination, expected in February.