Powerlink is planning for a new 44km-long transmission line to connect the Banana Range Wind Farm (BRWF) to the transmission network. The BRWF Connection Project involves constructing a new, 275kV transmission line from the BRWF site at the northern foothills of the Banana Range (about 20km west of Biloela), to Powerlink’s existing Calvale Substation, near Callide Power Station. A new substation will also be constructed at the BRWF site.
The Banana Range Wind Farm is a renewable energy development planned by EDF Renewables Australia (EDFR). For further information about the wind farm, visit www.bananarangewindfarm.com.au or contact EDF Renewables Australia on [email protected].
Powerlink owns, develops, operates and maintains the high voltage electricity transmission network in Queensland. We also provide electricity transmission services, including connecting large electricity generators (such as wind and solar farms), to the transmission network.
EDFR has engaged Powerlink to connect the BRWF to the transmission network. To date, Powerlink’s role has involved identifying a suitable transmission corridor in consultation with the community and stakeholders, working to obtain easements along the final corridor, undertaking environmental, cultural heritage and other technical studies and preparing environment and planning approvals process for the transmission line.
Since the release of the final corridor in April 2023, the Powerlink Project Team has been meeting with landholders to identify individual site considerations and constraints, and determine any minor corridor changes required before proceeding with environment and planning approvals.
Environmental field studies and preliminary on-ground assessments, including initial Cultural Heritage studies, have been ongoing for over 12 months and are now complete. The findings will be summarised in an Environmental Assessment Report (EAR), which is scheduled to be released for public comment in 2025.
Technical studies and initial construction feasibility assessments are underway. The transmission connection project will move into the detailed design phase in early 2025.
Between June and November 2022, Powerlink engaged with landholders, Traditional Owners, the community and other stakeholders to identify the most suitable corridor for the transmission infrastructure. We would like to thank everyone who shared insights with us during this time.
All previous reports and project newsletters are available under the ‘Resources’ section of this page.
We understand that biosecurity is a priority for the Banana Shire community. We take biosecurity seriously and have processes in place to avoid spreading weeds, pathogens and diseases between properties or introducing new biosecurity material from outside the local bioregion.
You can find out more about Powerlink’s systems and processes for managing biosecurity risk, including avoiding the spread of weeds, on this web page, under ‘Resources’.
Powerlink is committed to ongoing genuine and timely engagement to ensure we deliver positive outcomes for landholders, Traditional Owner groups, local communities, other stakeholders and the environment where our transmission infrastructure is located.
If you have any questions about the Banana Range Wind Farm Connection Project, please contact the project team by:
People living along, or adjacent to, the proposed transmission corridor are encouraged to contact their Landholder Relations Advisor to ask questions or provide feedback. Please refer to contact details on the right of this page.
In April 2024, the Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Act 2024 (Energy Act) was passed in Queensland Parliament. The Energy Act supports delivery of the government’s renewable energy targets and includes a framework to progress the declaration of Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) across the state. REZs will help meet our future energy needs by connecting Queenslanders to renewable energy in a coordinated and cost-effective way.
The Callide region in Central Queensland has been identified as the first potential REZ location to be declared under the Energy Act.
For more information about REZs, visit powerlink.com.au/rez.
Central
Renewables
In Progress
