Mystery still surrounds the group which has commissioned market research by phone on the controversial VNI West power line project.
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Transmission Company Victoria says it is not them.
Residents along the broader proposed route in the north-west have been angered by phone calls in the past week from researchers posing questions about renewables and specifically on the power line proposal.
TCV said it was aware residents had been approached by an unidentified market research company in recent days.
"TCV has not commissioned this research," project director Sam Magee said.
"We do not know who is conducting this research or why it is being undertaken. It is not TCV, AEMO or anyone directly affiliated with our project (including VicGrid)."
Another possible culprit was the conservative policy think-tank Institute of Public Affairs.
The Melbourne-based IPA has been on a fact-finding mission to the Central Highlands and Wimmera in recent weeks.
The group said the regions "are key net zero impact zones, where the way of life for many communities is under threat due to the proposed construction of transmission lines demanded by inner-city elites".
The institute has outlined plans to visit Ballarat, Creswick, Avoca, St Arnaud, Myrniong, Darley, Clarkes Hill and Kingston to listen to locals."
But a spokesman for the institute said it had not commissioned the research in question.
"Meeting face to face with the communities affected was very informative," the spokesman said.
"I am sure whoever is doing the research is going to get an idea of the anger there and the deep concern the communities have for their livelihoods and their way of life which is under threat from these projects."
This latest upset comes as TCV starts making contact with about 350 landholders who are located on the proposed path of the controversial high voltage power line.
The power company has refined a 5km-50km VNI West area of interest into a draft corridor about 2km wide for the project which aims to connect the Victoria and NSW energy grids.
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Landholders will be offered advice on issues such as farming with transmission lines, biosecurity arrangements, access agreements and compensation for easement and other payments.
Some of those landholders who were already identified as being on the proposed route have vowed to refuse the energy companies access to their land even though a cash carrot of $10,000 has been offered for access.
TCV said while the company continues to contact the farmers and other landowners, it was not making contact anonymously.
"We would like to reassure the community that anyone calling from TCV, including our land team, will always clearly identify themselves up front when calling a landholder or any member of the public," Mr Magee said.
"These conversations with individual landholders are important not just for TCV but for landholders - it's an opportunity for farmers to ask us all their questions specific to their property and start to understand how they may be affected.
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"If we do conduct market research, we will always be open and transparent with people that we are the party undertaking the research," he said.
This latest kerfuffle follows AusNet's apology to farmers in the west of the state last week for entering some properties to erect warning signs under power lines.
A farm lobby group has claimed AusNet "trespassed" on private property to access easements in the past few weeks.
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Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
