"Where does Council stand?" he asked.

He attempted to amend the minutes of the May meeting to state that in principle Council was not in favour of the application by Union Finosa for the power line.

However, Mayor Cr. John Shaw ruled that this was not a correction of the original minutes (which could be permitted) but an alteration which would require a notice of motion.

Cr. Shaw added that the Council in its May decision had responded to initial inquiries from the State Planning Department, and that it would have a further opportunity to comment when the Development Approval procedure was further along.

Council would then have an opportunity to oppose the development if it so wished.

Cr. Barlow accepted this ruling.

In his submission Cr. Barlow said that the tenor of discussion at the May meeting was one of strong reservations, which was reflected in the Crookwell Gazette headline and quotes by the Mayor, the Director of Works and Councillors in its report.

"It is probably true to say that some Councillors felt that State Government consent was inevitable and so endorsement of a wish list of requirements was appropriate and opposition futile," Cr. Barlow said.

He added that the Council decision not only did not adequately reflect reservations and concerns expressed in discussion, but was also inconsistent with Council's opposition to the Crookwell 111 Wind Farm.

The opposition to Crookwell 111 was partly because it represented a potential excessive cumulative effect by turbines in that locality - "which is exactly the effect this transmission line will have," Cr. Barlow said.

"We know landholders in its path are already being approached, if not signed up."

(In its May response to the power line, which would run from a proposed new wind farm at Paling Yards in Oberon Shire to a substation in the Crookwell 111 development), Upper Lachlan listed a number of concerns but did not state endorsement or opposition)