Nestled at the head of the Watagan Valley south of Cessnock is one of the most secluded and picturesque parcels of privately owned land in the Hunter.
Quolls, koalas and glossy black cockatoos live among the towering eucalypts that grow on the 175 hectare property, which was recently identified as part of the Hunter Transmission Project corridor.
The Turner family have owned the land, adjoining the Watagan national park, for 70 years. It is their prized sanctuary and home away from home.
To their surprise, surveyors for the government energy agency EnergyCo were spotted on Watagan Creek Road near the property a couple of months ago.
The Turners quickly learned their land was in the path of the clean energy transmission infrastructure project to connect Bayswater and Eraring power stations.
Under preliminary plans, about 1.3 kilometres of the 115 kilometre 500 kilovolt line will traverse the property.
Like many landowners caught in the path of new energy infrastructure, the Turners have sought to minimise its impact on the amenity and value on their land.
"I'm 70-years-old and still working because I want to hand it on to my children. It's not about what it's worth or what we can get, it's the fact that we want to preserve it in the condition that it is in," Barbara Dawson, who owns part of the property, said.
Thousands of landowners from across the state are due to rally in Sydney on Thursday in protest against the social and environmental impacts of clean energy infrastructure.
Organised by the National Rational Energy Network, the Reckless Renewables rally will draw attention to projects including the Hunter and New England Renewable Energy Zones, the Hunter Offshore Wind Project and the Hunter Transmission Project.
The Turners inquired why the new infrastructure, which requires a 400 metre wide envelope, couldn't follow the route of a similar high voltage power line that runs through the national park.
Like others who have asked similar questions, they have been told the proposed route is the most expedient option given that the government wants the project to be operational by early 2028.
"It's totally unjust," Ms Dawson said.
"We believe further investigation should be done on the existing 132 kilovolt easement between Bayswater and Weston, EnergyCo is currently seeking a price from Ausgrid to upgrade."
Ms Dawson said the 500 kilovolt power lines would sound like "a thousand sizzling frying pans" when thick fog descends on the property.
"Not a week goes by when we are not out there," she said.
"The money won't compensate us for the loss of peace and tranquillity and the impact on the environment. It just breaks my heart."
"I want to embrace the shift to clean energy but you have to wonder if it's worth the squeeze."
An EnergyCo spokesman said the agency was in the early stages of consulting with the community on the preliminary corridor.
"It's important to note the Hunter Transmission Project preliminary corridor is not fixed and the final route of the new transmission line has not been determined," he said.
"All potentially affected individuals and groups are our priority as we consult on the Hunter Transmission Project preliminary corridor in these early stages of the project.
We value their opinions and over the next 18 months we'll work closely with the community to improve the design of the Hunter Transmission Project."
Consultation to date has focused on potentially affected landowners and key stakeholders.
"Wherever possible we are seeking to meet face-to-face to discuss issues, concerns and opportunities. We have a dedicated local team available to talk with landowners and the community," the spokesman said.
The Hunter Transmission Project preliminary corridor is on public exhibition until 18 December.
The feedback gathered will help inform the final corridor, which will be decided by the end of February 2024.
