Head of the Manning Alliance, Peter Epov, recognised the need to bring the community together to oppose this project. He and local resident, best-selling author Di Morrissey, plotted a campaign to unite the community and launch a fight, the like of which TransGrid had never seen before.

They didn't have money, they didn't have power but there was plenty of passion. Grassroots action, petitions, town hall meetings, the local media, these were the first steps.

"We just felt it was time for people to actually stand-up and say to this multi billion dollar state owned power company 'enough is enough', we're going to fight you," says Di Morrissey.

And when the Alliance, including former fund manager Bruce Robertson, started to investigate the very basis of the proposal, things began to unravel for TransGrid.

The fight got dirty but in the end it was a win for people power.

This May after a series of reports backing up the Alliance's claims TransGrid finally had to shelve their plans.

The Australian Story crew have been filming in the Manning Valley for the past few weeks and their report screens on Monday night at 8 o'clock on ABC1