Council raises concerns about VNI West EES
Published on 13 October 2026
Northern Grampians Shire Council will continue to advocate on behalf of residents as part of the State Government's VNI West Environment Effects Statement (EES) public exhibition process.
The 9960-page EES document was released for public exhibition on Monday, October 5 with written submissions to be accepted until Monday, November 16 via the Engage Victoria website.
Submissions can raise concerns across areas such as traffic and transport, climate change, bushfire, heritage and agriculture, however not all submitters will have the opportunity to present evidence or call for expert witnesses.
The Minister for Planning has updated the Terms of Reference relating to the official EES exhibition process, limiting the topics the inquiry panel will hear verbal submissions on, while also limiting the ability for expert witnesses to be called.
Northern Grampians Shire deputy mayor Justine Hide said she believed the changes may limit the opportunity for important local impacts to be fully examined through the official inquiry process.
"Council has consistently sought a process that provides genuine consideration of the impacts this project could have on our municipality," she said.
"These changes raise concerns about whether the issues that matter most to Northern Grampians’ residents will have the same opportunity to be properly examined.
“There is also a significant amount of highly technical information to consider before people can understand the potential impacts and prepare a formal submission. This is a considerable task requiring significant effort.”
Community concerns were raised following Northern Grampians Shire Council's decision to withdraw from the project's Technical Reference Group last month.
Council’s decision followed growing unease about how feedback had been managed during its two-year involvement in the group. The organisation remains committed to ongoing advocacy efforts.
Council will now prepare a detailed submission advocating for the interests of Northern Grampians Shire on priority matters including local roads, housing and workforce pressures, as well as other impacts on communities along the project corridor.
“Our decision to leave the Technical Reference Group did not mean stepping away from the process,” Cr Hide said.
“We will continue to advocate strongly for our community through council’s EES submission and encourage our community to familiarise themselves with the process and make their own views known.”
VicGrid is hosting several community engagement sessions across St Arnaud and Stawell in the coming weeks, where people can find out more about the project, the EES and the formal submission process. More details are available on VicGrid’s website here.
The website also contains a copy of the EES here and includes a 68-page executive summary version.
Alternatively, a print copy can be viewed at the VNI West project's Stawell office at 179 Main Street, Monday to Friday, throughout the public exhibition period.
People interested in making a formal EES submission can do so via the Engage Victoria website here.