Australia’s energy system is undergoing a profound transformation to clean, renewable energy. We must replace ageing coal-fired power stations with new technology and the cheapest form of energy is renewable energy sources like solar, wind and hydro. New transmission infrastructure is needed to modernise the grid and connect to the locations where renewable energy is generated. The transmission network also needs to expand to match Australia’s growing demand for electricity. The Australian Energy Market Operator has calculated that close to 10,000 km of new transmission lines are needed by 2050 across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania (the National Energy Market). New transmission is also needed in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. These new lines will enhance the reliability of the energy system and enable efficient power supply to Australian businesses and communities. Developing large-scale infrastructure presents opportunities and challenges for Australia and local communities. At a national level, new transmission projects will support Australia’s goals for a cleaner energy future and enable more reliable energy supplies. At the local level, transmission projects will boost jobs and regional economies. However, localised impacts will arise for the communities that transmission lines pass through. Regional communities deserve to benefit directly from new transmission projects and participate in their planning and delivery. Transmission developers need to work with communities in an open and fair way. It is important that impacts are minimised and meaningful community benefits are realised throughout the full lifecycle of a transmission project. The National Guidelines for Community Engagement and Benefits for Electricity Transmission Projects (‘the guidelines’) have been prepared to elevate and reinforce the importance of building social licence with communities. These guidelines provide nationally consistent principles to deliver meaningful community engagement and local benefits for every transmission project in Australia. In practice, these guidelines will lead to: • tailored, transparent and adaptable engagement that matches community needs • early community engagement that informs route refinement and project decisions • ongoing community engagement to identify and address project impacts • co-designed project benefits that are fair and meaningful to the community • well-trained and culturally aware community engagement and land-liaison staff • continuous improvement in engagement activities and social licence. These guidelines support transmission developers to go beyond compliance by supplementing mandatory activities with better practice principles. Applying better practice approaches will improve community trust and acceptance. In turn, this supports transmission developers to deliver their projects more smoothly by building social licence with communities. These guidelines are primarily for entities involved in transmission planning and those building and operating transmission networks, including those engaging with landholders and communities on behalf of those entities. Transmission ‘developers’ is used to collectively refer to all of these entities, regardless of which phase of the project lifecycle they are involved in. Building and maintaining social licence is a shared responsibility for all entities involved in a transmission project. Poor engagement practices and unfair outcomes by any entity at any stage of a project can erode community trust and create cumulative impacts for transmission and the energy industry more broadly. The guidelines take a principles-based approach so they can be adapted to different community and project needs. The principles included in the guidelines represent leading practice in building social licence with communities. This means they will also be applicable to wider efforts to facilitate the energy transition. The guidelines include principles for engagement and consultation with First Nations people. Australia is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). UNDRIP sets out four key principles that cover all of the elements of the Declaration. These principles are: • self determination • participation in decision making on the basis of free, prior, informed consent • respect for, and protection of culture • the right to be free from discrimination. The guidelines aim to ensure these significant principles are respected. Transmission developers should integrate the guideline’s principles into how they do business, alongside other leading business practices to build social value for their projects. Energy market bodies and government investment programs may also wish to integrate the principles into relevant assessment processes. Other opportunities to leverage the guidelines may also arise as national, state and territory governments consider options to align their relevant energy policies and programs.