Hundreds of construction workers have relocated to the NSW Riverina to work on Transgrid's EnergyConnect, billed as Australia's largest energy transmission project that will connect state grids across 900km.
That has taken a toll on essential services in Bundure, an isolated farming region now home to a substation, locals told a NSW parliamentary inquiry on Wednesday.
Unsealed clay roads have been ripped up by increased heavy traffic and mobile phone connectivity is "near zero" on properties near the workers' camps.
Andrew Browning, a farmer and a Rural Fire Service captain, said connectivity was so poor he could not get a fire response mobile app to work from his property.
When substation construction workers left for their summer break, phone coverage immediately improved, he said.
"(But) after the Christmas break, the workforce went back to the camp, our phones went to rubbish," Mr Browning told the inquiry sitting in Hay on Wednesday.
"You don't need to be rocket scientists to work out that it's a massive, massive impact ... on our daily lives."
Farmer Richard Coughlan said the only locals to benefit from the state government's South West Renewable Energy Zone would be landholders who hosted the infrastructure.
The zone will include battery, solar and wind projects along with major interstate transmission lines.
"It's created significant unease between neighbours ... it's created more division in our community," Mr Coughlan told the inquiry.
"It's been poorly planned ... poorly executed and poorly managed and we have to live with that for now and for the rest of our lives."
Transgrid executive Michael Johnson said the company had spent more than $800 million in regional communities hosting its projects, including $11 million in one small community near Hay.
The developer met with locals concerned about connectivity and installed satellite services to ease the burden on local phone towers, Mr Johnson told the inquiry.
"We have, and always will, continue to listen to regional communities as they want honest, transparent communication about projects, clear plans and timelines, and actions based on community feedback."
Rural councils across the region also expressed concern about the potential strain on local roads, housing and water supplies.
EnergyCo, the government agency rolling out zones across the state, had recently given councils $250,000 to help manage their infrastructure, the inquiry was told.
Hay Shire Council's executive manager, Alison McLean, said the council viewed the energy transition as an opportunity, directing developers towards long-term investments in childcare, aged care, education, housing and affordable power for locals.
