Victoria to NSW Interconnector West

Email VNIW@transgrid.com.au or call 1800 955 588 for information and updates on the VNI West project in NSW.

What's new: Environmental Impact Statement now on public exhibition

The Victoria to NSW Interconnector West – known as VNI West – is a proposed new 500 kV double circuit transmission line connecting the high voltage electricity grids in New South Wales and Victoria.

VNI West is being jointly developed with Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) and will connect major projects EnergyConnect in NSW and Western Renewables Link in Victoria. The preferred option runs from Transgrid’s Dinawan substation north of Jerilderie in NSW to new substations proposed near Kerang and Bulgana in Victoria.

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the NSW section of the VNI West project has now been placed on public exhibition by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI). Stakeholders and community are invited to review the document and make an informed submission. The EIS exhibition will be on display for 28 days from Friday 1 August 2025 to Friday 29 August 2025.

The EIS is a detailed technical document that assesses the potential environmental impacts of the proposed VNI West (NSW) project, and outlines the measures and mitigations to be implemented in the region where VNI West would be constructed. The full EIS contains 27 Chapters, six Appendices and 18 Technical Reports, documenting the project team's investigation and assessment on a range of environmental, social and economic matters.

How can I view the EIS?

There are two ways for community members and stakeholders to access the complete version of the EIS: via the NSW DPHI Major Projects Planning Portal link below, or through the Digital EIS link below.

View on NSW Planning Portal

The Digital EIS

The Digital EIS is an interactive platform for the EIS: it presents the key findings and proposed mitigation measures documented in the EIS, interactive mapping, links to the EIS chapters and reports, information Fact Sheets, and links to the DPHI Major Projects Planning Portal.

Explore the Digital EIS

EIS Fact Sheets

The EIS fact sheets provide a summary of key technical studies, the methodology we used to identify and assess potential project impacts, our findings and how we propose to manage or minimise them. We also have fact sheets outlining the project location, how we will construct the project and the facilities required to support construction of the project.  

Making a submission to the EIS

What you need to know:

• Submissions are made direct to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.
• Submissions will close on Friday 29 August, 2025.
• For online submissions, you will need to register first and verify your account using your email address.
• For postal submissions, you can send submissions to: Director - Energy Assessments, Planning and Assessment, NSW Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure, Locked Bag 5022, Parramatta NSW 2124, quoting the VNI West project number SSI-72887298.
• For further information, read more at the 'Have Your Say' webpage, or, drop into a community information session to ask the project team.

Please note that as this process is administered by NSW DPHI, Transgrid is not able to accept submissions, nor submit on your behalf. We will, however, advise on how you can make your submission, and we will be asked by DPHI to prepare a report that responds to issues raised during the submissions process.

Victorian section of VNI West 

Transmission Company Victoria (TCV) is planning the Victorian section of VNI West. On 30 June 2025, TCV advised Victorian landholders of a revised project timeline, with its expected completion date shifted to November 2030. Read more from TCV on its announcement here or visit the project website.

Why is the project needed?

Network congestion is increasing in some areas of NSW and Victoria – so is the energy system’s reliance on the benefits of interconnection between regions. Well-targeted and timely investment in the transmission network is needed to keep pace with these changes and provide consumers with the most cost-effective energy outcomes - while maintaining reliability and security.

VNI West is a core component and listed as an actionable project in the Australian Energy Market Operator's (AEMO) 2024 Integrated System Plan, which confirms the need for both short- and longer-term investment, to increase the transfer capacity between states in the National Electricity Market (NEM).

Project benefits

Projects such as VNI West represent once-in-a-generation opportunities to re-shape the NSW and Victorian transmission networks in a way that delivers the best possible value to electricity customers over the long term.

The project will:

• increase in the capacity to share electricity between NSW and Victoria
• improve the reliability and security of electricity supply in both states
• increase access to renewable energy sources
• create an economic boost for regional communities through the provision of jobs, training and local supply opportunities
• help achieve renewable energy targets and the overall decarbonisation of the National Electricity Market (NEM), while continuing to deliver safe, reliable and affordable electricity to consumers

See the VNI West fact sheet for more information.

Information sessions

Transgrid has planned a series of community information sessions across the project region in August 2025, to support the public exhibition period for the VNI West EIS. These sessions are designed for community and stakeholders to drop in during the times noted, and to ask questions about the EIS that will assist in making an informed submission.

The information session schedule is provided below.

In recent months, we've been engaging communities to better understand the potential social impacts of VNI West in NSW on landowners and the community, both positive and negative, during construction and operation of the project.

This has included seeking broader feedback on themes and topics related to community investment and benefits, which will help our assessment of community investment and benefit initiatives. 

Transgrid has released an interim report outlining a summary of the engagement undertaken to date, and the high level themes of feedback received. 

Together with community, we will work towards identifying specific projects and initiatives within the broad feedback themes that could be considered for investment.

This has included an Expression of Interest (EOI) process, calling for submissions of Social Legacy projects and initiatives from non-profit organisations, educational institutions, and other entities focused on local and regional community development within the VNI West footprint in NSW.

We would like to thank the community for your input on this process, and we are reviewing the submissions. We'll provide further advice on this process later this year.

Want to find out more?

• Read our FAQs on Social Legacy initiatives.
• Email the team at our project email or call on 1800 955 588 for further discussion.

Transgrid has established a Community Consultative Group (CCG) to provide a forum for community members, stakeholders and local councils to seek information from Transgrid and to provide feedback to inform corridor refinement and the subsequent Environmental Assessment process.

The purpose of the group is to:

• provide a forum for open and constructive discussions about the VNI West project
• help Transgrid better understand community perspectives and issues related to the project
• work with Transgrid to develop ideas for community benefits and project legacy.

The upcoming meeting schedule is provided below.

Agendas and minutes will be published about two weeks after each meeting. The CCG will operate under the Terms of Reference and Code of Conduct.

For further information please email the CCG Secretariat Reem Nasr at Reem.Nasr@transgrid.com.au

For information and updates on the VNI West project in NSW, contact Transgrid via email VNIW@transgrid.com.au or call 1800 955 588.

For information relating to the VNI West project in Victoria, please visit the Transmission Company Victoria webpage or email enquiries@transmissionvictoria.com.au. 

• Project Specification Consultation Report (PSCR) - December 2019
• Project Assessment Draft Report (PADR) – July 2022
• Additional Consultation Report – February 2023
• Project Assessment Conclusions Report (PACR) Volume 1 – May 2023
• Project Assessment Conclusions Report (PACR) Volume 2 – May 2023