One week extra for powerline objections

THABAZIMBI – In the already very limited time given to object against the proposed 765kV Escom power lines Escom has agreed to give a five day extention to the cut-off date. Instead of 16 May objections now have to be submitted by 23 May.
All in all, with extentions, the public has been allowed 50 work days in which to respond to the 765kV power line scoping report. The scoping report was first made available to the public on 10 March 2008 and the first cut-off date for objections was on 29 April. There was a public commentary day on 17 April and a public meeting on 10 May.
The Thabazimbi Environment Action Group has once again appointed an enviromental advocate to help fight the battle against the proposed power lines. This seems very much like a repetition of work done a relatively short while ago when Escom investigated the possibility of erecting 400kV powerlines coming from the north, past the Kransberg (through Marakele), to the east of Thabazimbi, cutting across farms in the Sandriver Valley. At that stage the representations were heeded and the 400kV power lines moved to the west.
Now Escom has renewed its search for three 160m wide corridors in which to erected powerlines carrying bigger capacities than before. And the battle for the Thabazimbi Environment Action Group has thus started anew. The threat, however, does not involve landowners in the Sandriver Valley alone. Only two of six 765kV power lines might potentially run to the east of Thabazimbi. Four more lines will be erected further west.
Feelings of dismay and impotence at the possible destruction of our bushveld environment dominated a meeting on Saturday 10 May at the bioscope hall. Mostly land owners were present, but other stakeholders such as representatives of the municipality and Marakele National Park were also present. One objector, Marius Schrenk, queried the possibility of stacking and burying lines, saying that this project was being “forced down our throats”.
These huge 765kV powerlines will transport electricity from Botswana and Lephalale coal fields to a proposed power station in Potchefstroom. For Escom the preferred way of transporting electricity is via aerial cables in three separate corridors of 160m each.