BY JEM ANSHAW
When Lucy and her husband brought their block of land in Belltrees they kept being drawn to one area and they realised that would be the perfect spot to build their family home.
It took 18 months to build, with a lot of thought going into the layout and aspect to take advantage of the stunning views of Gundy Mountain and the rest of the range that surrounds them.
“We just knew that this was the right spot, we had a beautiful aspect to the north, and the sun sets to the west, so we just worked with the builder to design our house to make sure we took in the northern light and the beautiful views” Lucy shared when discussing their Upper Hunter build.
“I’m from Wagga originally, my husband’s from Sydney but he grew up visiting here, his best friend’s parents are now our neighbours.
“We are out here living his dream surrounded by his best friends, and we’re very lucky to have such close friends to all grow up together with our small children, and it’s a lifestyle that we want to be living.”
Their dream became reality around 18 months ago when, along with their sons Henry, William, and Sinclair, the family moved into their Mable Projects home.
They have an expansive block that covers hills and valleys where they run cattle, with a fenced off house block where their kids get to enjoy country life.
“Once the house was built, I literally just had to pinch myself because for us to live here and look at this beautiful valley, and for this to be our boys’ home, and their forever home, was a dream that we’ve always wanted,” Lucy shared.
Standing near the house it is very clear why. Looking out over the hills and valleys, watching the wedge tailed eagles fly above and spotting kangaroos in the grass while the silence of the trees brings about that special kind of calm that only nature can deliver.
Unfortunately for Lucy and her husband some cracks in their dream have begun to show late last year when they got a letter from EnergyCo requesting access to their land for their Hunter transmission line project.
“We’ve worked so hard to build our dream home and to feel really safe and settled within this community, we love it here in Scone and especially here at Gundy and Belltrees,” Lucy told The Hunter River Times.
“You feel an emotional pull to where you live and work, and then for EnergyCo and the Labor Government to all of a sudden decide that your property is going to be within this one-kilometre corridor of absolute environmental destruction, it is actually quite gut wrenching.”
It is proposed there will be at least six towers up to 80 meters in height, and the connecting lines, cutting directly across their property, just one of around 160 properties impacted by the project.
Their access road would be cut out to around 30 meters wide, and the trees that would need to be cleared across the land would significantly impact not only their views, but the use of their own land.
“They are completely ruining and damaging people’s farmlands and existing infrastructure, infrastructure that’s already there,” Lucy said.
Residents who will be subjected to having these access roads on their properties are also faced with security concerns of unknown people coming and going through their land at will.
“If you lived in town, if someone’s coming to your house and knocking on your door you want to know who they are before you let them in,” Lucy explained.
“People are already having issues with trespassers and people coming and stealing utes on their farms.
“We have a lot of hope that we will be able to stop this, and we won’t let it happen, but we’re not willing to sell, and especially not to EnergyCo.”
Read about the latest update on the New England Renewable Energy Zone transmission line project here.
