Scone Polo Under Threat from Power Lines, Appeals for Help
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
Those who have had the opportunity to travel and visit various clubs will have noticed that many polo grounds are adversely affected by immense high-voltage pylons. This creates not only visual pollution but also the issue of exposure to these imposing metal structures at such close quarters.
Scone is one of the most significant polo teams in the world. While they compete in England, the United States, and Argentina, their home base remains in Australia, the birthplace of their founder, David Paradice.
The club’s headquarters are located a 25-minute drive from the town of Scone, Australia. It is nestled in a natural area, surrounded by wildlife and lush vegetation, offering panoramic views far from major cities. It sits adjacent to pristine nature parks, presenting a truly wild landscape.
However, the club is now under threat as energy giant EnergyCo and the New South Wales (NSW) Government plan to construct Australia’s largest electricity transmission corridor through the Upper Hunter, passing directly over Scone Polo Club.
The plan for the 'New Transmission Line Corridor' from the Walcha Local Government Area (LGA) to Bayswater will directly impact the club's future viability. Scone Polo Club is the heart of rural polo in NSW; a threat to Scone is a threat to the sport nationwide, as this region is one of the most popular settings for playing the game in Australia.
The corridor also traverses numerous properties belonging to the polo community, including those of Anto and Alec White, Pete, Will and Jasper White, James Archibald, Rob, Ed and Jack Archibald, Alex Warner, George Crouch, as well as Gus and Cole Aguirre. "Everyone is at risk," stated representatives from Scone, who urged residents via official statements to sign a petition to halt what they termed a "catastrophe".
EnergyCo remained open to hearing from community neighbours until 11 December, the final deadline for closing the dialogue. In a last-ditch effort, Club authorities and David Paradice himself attempted to halt the energy giant's plans, utilising an automated letter generator to flood EnergyCo with their concerns.
EnergyCo, acting on behalf of the NSW Government, has shifted the study for the proposed transmission line corridor. Moving away from the original scope, they have pushed the project from Bayswater to a "New Route" through the Upper Hunter and into the New England region via the Walcha LGA. This measure traverses over 100 privately owned working farms and prime agricultural land, cutting through known habitats for koalas and many other threatened species.
The undersigned petitioners have now called upon the Legislative Assembly to officially reject this "New Route" and instruct EnergyCo to develop an alternative. They demand a path that utilises pre-existing infrastructure or public land, ensuring it does not impact privately owned prime agricultural country, the precious environment, or regional communities.
The Australian community has protested that the project is economically irresponsible, lacks social licence in the communities it will pass through, and has been pursued without meaningful community consultation. Furthermore, they maintain that this path will make fighting bushfires in the area more difficult and will result in increased construction costs and delays to project rollouts.
In 2024, the NSW Government previously deemed this route unviable; while minor amendments have since been made, opponents argue the fundamental concerns are still unresolved. The story remains unchanged.
