Landowners fight Transpower plans for 200km of pylons

1.00pm

Angry landowners have formed an action group to fight plans to build a 200km row of massive power pylons from Whakamaru to Auckland.

Gray Baldwin organised a meeting of concerned landowners at Lichfield Hall, south of Putaruru, last night and said there had been universal condemnation of the plan to erect the 70m pylons to carry a 400kV power line to Auckland.

About 65 people, including newly elected South Waikato Mayor Neil Sinclair, had turned up at the meeting.

"He (Mr Sinclair) had no doubt how the community feels about this thing by the end of the night," Mr Baldwin said.

There had been no talk of simply trying to get the best compensation deal possible out of Transpower.

"Everyone was saying 'this is not happening in our patch'."

The landowners have decided to present a united front at Transpower's Putaruru open day tomorrow.

Transpower is holding a series of open days to discuss the plan with individual landowners.

- NZPA