$2billion data centre and gas power

plant in Tuggeranong has become a

question of scale.

Just how big an eyesore will the

development's 35m exhaust stakes

be? The company says they will be

largely covered by trees, and will

blend into the landscape.

But residents in Macarthur and

Fadden are not convinced and, on

the eve of today's public meeting

about the development, gave The

Canberra Times images which they

say confirm their reservations.

Prepared by a member of Canberrans

for Power Station Relocation,

Simon Bryne, the images show how

the stacks will allegedly dwarf people

and blight the landscape.

Mr Byrne, who specialises in creating

three-dimensional images, said

he felt he needed to make the images

available to the general public as

ActewAGL had not done so.

A spokeswoman for the

opponents, Susan Penn-Turrall, said

the site was unsuitable for the

purpose of a power station.

''We are not opposed to the power

station because it is in our backyards,

it is a community issue. All Canberrans

should be appalled that

ActewAGL wants to build this huge

polluting plant so close to a residential

area,'' she said.

ActewAGL yesterday issued more

of its own drawings of the development,

nine months after the project

was first mooted and 10 days before

the consultation period ends.

Mr Byrne said his impressions

were based on the ACT Planning and

Land Authority development application

submitted by ActewAGL.

After The Canberra Times sent his

images to ActewAGL, the company

forwarded what it described as draft

drawings of the proposed power

station.

ActewAGL current chief executive

officer John Mackay said the planting

of trees would mask the visual

impact of the project.

''I am fairly sure that over half of

the trees we are planting at the

arboretum grow to more than 35m,

and we have already promised to do

'whatever it takes' to make sure that

the visual amenity of the area is not

destroyed,'' he said.

The 210 megawatt gas power station

and data centre has outraged

some Canberra residents who claim

the development does not meet

noise and pollution standards.

Two areas near the proposed site

were found to be above the current

ACT zone criteria in the acoustic

assessment supplied to ActewAGL by

Bassett Consulting Engineers. A

plume study by SDA Engineering

found nitrogen dioxide emissions fell

just within NSW standards.

The reports were submitted to the

ACT Planning and Land Authority by

ActewAGL.

More than 200 development application

submissions were made by the

May 5 deadline to try to halt the

development.

ActewAGL's incoming chief executive

officer, Michael Costello, said the

company would accept the decision

of the Government and health and

environmental authorities. He hoped

opponents of the development

would do the same.

''If it does not meet the proper

health and environmental standards

it should be crunched. We are not

saying we are right. We are saying we

are putting forward this proposal to

test,'' he said.

Rodahn Gibbon, from Canberrans

for Power Station Relocation, said

the group's images were important

to show how the plant would look.

''How can people make an

informed decision if they won't

provide them with the information?''

he said.

Mr Gibbon said an artist's

impression was important as there

was disagreement about the number

of towers, the visual impact of the

plant and its size.

''What are they trying to hide?''.

Residents believed the plans

showed two rows of nine towers.

''That's what we believe if you look

at the plans on the ACTPLA website,

we interpret that as being 18 towers.

It's a fair representation based on

the plans they have given to

ACTPLA.''

Local residents say the power

plant has influenced how they will

vote in the upcoming election and

others are planning to leave Canberra

if the proposal goes ahead.

Nearby resident Dugald Holmes

said for the sake of his children's

health he would move his family out

of Canberra.

Mr Mackay said ActewAGL would

look into improving the plant's

emissions.

He is overseas and will not be

attending the community information

day today at the Town Centre

Sports Club in Greenway.

However, ActewAGL general manager

of commercial development

Carsten Larsen will be representing

the organisation.

People wanting to make

submissions on the preliminary

application can do so until May 27.