A POWER project boom threatens to industrialise the south-west according to several Moyne councillors who intend to block the proposed Tarrone gas plant.
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Cr Ken Gale has put forward a motion for the Moyne Shire to inform Premier John Brumby that the council strongly opposes construction of the Tarrone Power Station due to its accumulative effect on the area.
The motion will be considered at today's council meeting.
Electricity provider AGL first proposed the construction of a gas-fired power plant in the Tarrone district, just west of Hawkesdale, in meetings with the Moyne Shire in 2008.
Cr Gale said while he welcomed the development of power plants and wind turbines in the south-west, he felt the growing number of sites within the region was unsustainable.
He said the south-west was at risk of being "industrialised."
"I'm really concerned about the accumulative effect. We don't Moyne Shire to become like Yallourn, another Latrobe Valley," Cr Gale said.
"Many ratepayers have told me that they don't want to be surrounded by power plants, that they're happy with the level of development as it is.
"Mortlake and Orford are great investments in the region, fair enough, but what we don't want is for Moyne and the wider region to become industrialised."
Origin Energy is constructing a gas-fired power station near Mortlake and energy giant Santos has indicated its intention to build the Shaw River Power Station, a similar facility near Orford.
Cr Jill Parker said it was concerning that the Tarrone Power Station would be built within close proximity to the proposed Santos site.
Under publicised plans, the two power plants will be located less than five kilometres apart so as to have nearby access to a high-voltage electricity line which already runs through the district.
"The issue is one of accumulative effect," Cr Parker told The Standard.
"We really don't have enough information to determine the effects of having two power plants within striking range of one another.
"What are the effects when it comes to emissions, noise and traffic. These issues have not been properly addressed."
Cr Colin Ryan agreed, claiming Moyne Shire would do what it could to protect ratepayers from excessive development.
"These major corporations have to show due respect to ratepayers and I don't think building two power stations so close together is very realistic," he said last night.
