The Queensland government’s proposal to build the world’s “largest” pumped hydro scheme west of Mackay will affect about 50 landowners, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.
Key points:
- The majority of the land involves existing cattle grazing or sugar cane farming land, Annastacia Palaszczuk says
- The Pioneer-Burdekin project is equivalent to 9.6 million household batteries and the size of 21 Wivenhoe pumped hydros
- Ms Palaszczuk pledged the scheme will not result in any inundation of national parks
The Pioneer-Burdekin project — unveiled on Wednesday as part of the Queensland government’s $62 billion energy plan — is slated to be delivered by 2035, at an expected cost of $12 billion.
Ms Palaszczuk said the state government’s new 10-year energy plan was estimated to support nearly 100,000 jobs by 2040 in her CEDA State of the State address.
She also said the state government’s new renewable energy targets — of 70 per cent by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035 — will be legislated, and Queensland’s coal-fired powers stations will progressively become “clean energy hubs”.
A spokesman from Energy Minister Mick de Brenni’s office said it was estimated the Pioneer-Burdekin project would affect 54 houses on 79 properties in the lower and upper reservoir areas.
“It’s still early days we’re out talking to landholders, the final project design will be determined when we complete the studies,” the spokesman said.
Ms Palaszczuk said the majority of the land involved existing cattle grazing or sugar cane farming land.
“My understanding is [there is going to be] around 50 homes and the department are already out there speaking to the families, so there will be a lot of community consultation,” she said.
Mr de Brenni said the Queensland government had already spoken to about “20 per cent” of land owners in the past 24 hours and “those engagements have been very positive”.
“The resumptions that are involved in this are not significant, in terms of their number,” he said.
“They’re commensurate with the other types of infrastructure, for example, significant road projects.
“This is a process that we take seriously though, of course, and we want to be respectful of those land owners.”
He also said the state government had researched about 1,000 sites across Queensland and this location “stacked up” as the best pumped hydro opportunity.
“We’ll work through all of those appropriate environmental approvals, starting from today,” he said.
Mr De Brenni said the scheme was equivalent to 9.6 million household batteries and the size of 21 Wivenhoe Dam pumped hydros.
No national parks will be inundated
Ms Palaszczuk pledged the scheme would not result in any inundation of national parks.
A spokesman for Mr de Brenni said no properties would be affected by the other proposed pumped hydro site at Borumba Dam, south of Gympie.
“We’re not resuming any properties — upper reservoir has already been reserved, lower reservoir is an existing dam,” the spokesman said.
The government said “just over half” of the $34 billion funding for the new power generation was expected to come from the state government.
Ms Palaszczuk said a detailed treasury analysis found the overall investment would not affect the Queensland’s credit rating and would “still mean our net debt is lower than New South Wales or Victoria”.
She said the Queensland government would like to see contributions from the federal government, especially on the hydro projects.
Ms Palaszczuk also said the state government would not convert coal power stations “until there is a replacement firmed generation”.
On Wednesday the government signed a charter that there would be an “energy workers charter and jobs security guarantee” to ensure workers have the opportunity to continue their careers with publicly-owned energy businesses or elsewhere.
Ms Palaszczuk said the jobs security guarantee would be backed by a $150 million funding commitment.