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Overview

Powerlink owns and operates 2.7km of 275kV underground high voltage transmission cables that run between the Bayview Heights and White Rock transition stations in Cairns.  

Installed in 1997, the 2.7km of underground cables are critical to maintaining a reliable, secure and safe power supply for residents and businesses in Cairns and the Far North Queensland region.  

Powerlink maintains an easement along the length of the underground cables so we can safely operate and maintain the transmission cables. 

Since the underground cables were installed, there has been significant development in the Mount Sheridan area, including the residential Forest Gardens Estate. Over time, vegetation has grown around the underground cables and easement.  

Essential works to ensure the continued secure supply of power to the Cairns region are required along sections of the underground cable and easement located in Mount Sheridan’s Forest Gardens Estate and include:  

  • vegetation management along the easement, including selected tree removal of approximately 385 trees identified as being a high or future risk to the underground cables   
  • easement restoration, including replanting with compatible vegetation  
  • refurbishment works at two cable joint bay sites located near Alpinia Terrace and Amazon Close.   

We will minimise impacts wherever possible and are committed to keeping residents and the community updated on start and finish dates for all planned works.  


Status

Powerlink is committed to restoring the easement while maintaining required safety clearances for the underground cables and easement.   

We have been working with Cairns Regional Council to appropriately plan for easement restoration works, including identifying new amenity opportunities for the area such as shade structures and seating.   

Along with community feedback, the planning process has considered:  

  • clearance requirements for the underground cables and easement   
  • Council’s policies and standards for public open spaces   
  • compatible species types and availability of locally propagated stock   
  • users of the Crowleys Creek walking path   
  • opportunities for new amenities and vegetation to address shade loss   
  • ongoing vegetation management and maintenance requirements   

New amenities have been proposed to enhance the walking path for all users and to address shade loss and community feedback, where possible.  

We have received feedback regarding the proposed amenities and their locations via:  

  • emails  
  • resident surveys  
  • targeted door-knocking of neighbouring residents  
  • community information drop-in sessions.  

We thank residents and the local community for their time and for sharing their feedback and insights. The key areas of feedback included:  

  • opposition to the proposed shelters near Alpinia Terrace and Matisia Close due to their proximity to homes   
  • ongoing concerns that new amenities will contribute to undesirable behaviours in the area  
  • mixed feedback about the use of existing seats along the walking path  
  • support for additional shade trees being planted, where possible 
  • support for bench seats and water bubblers with dog bowls at intervals along the walking path to provide respite for all users.   

Overall, the feedback received indicates that new amenities along the walking path and easement will be used and supported by residents and the local community.  

Following community feedback, we have been working with Cairns Regional Council to finalise the easement restoration plan by:  

  • removing the proposed shelters near Alpinia Terrace and Matisia Close  
  • confirming the proposed shelter, bench seat and water bubbler with dog bowl near Blueberry Close will proceed  
  • identifying indicative locations for new shade trees, bench seats and water bubblers with dog bowls  
  • confirming existing seating to be upgraded or removed.   

We are also investigating options for additional bench seats and shade trees along the easement between:  

  • Blueberry Close and Scarlet Close  
  • Foxtail Street and Matisia Close.  

The new amenities will be installed progressively from 2025 starting in locations that do not require access for the cable joint bay refurbishment works or further tree removal. More information will be provided to residents and the local community before these works start.  

Please refer to the below map showing the indicative locations of the key new and upgraded amenities along the walking path and easement, or under Visuals. 

Bayview Heights to White Rock Map of Amenities December 2024

The planting of compatible vegetation is underway along the easement and will continue into early 2025.  

The planting works are being delivered progressively, starting in the cleared cluster areas.  

Some areas need to remain clear to provide access for further tree removal and the cable joint bay refurbishment works scheduled for the 2025 dry season. Plantings in these areas will be undertaken at the start of the 2025 wet season.  

Cairns Conservation Services has been engaged to deliver the easement restoration planting works in partnership with Powerlink. The works involve planting approximately 24,000 grasses and plants of local provenance seed and cuttings and approximately 50 shade trees.  

The vegetation removal and easement restoration works are being staged over a three-year period between 2024 and 2026.  

In mid 2024, trees posing a high risk to the underground cables and located within four key clusters were removed. This approach has removed the need to disturb some areas more than once and has enabled progressive restoration works to start in the cleared areas.  

Further tree removal will occur in 2025 to remove the remaining trees posing a future risk to the underground cables and around the cable joint bay locations. Further information about the trees to be removed in 2025 are available on the project website.   

These works will be undertaken by local contractors (ETS Infrastructure Management) and an arborist and fauna spotter will again be on-site during the vegetation removal process to minimise any disturbance to the local environment.  

In 2026, works will focus on the maintenance of the new compatible vegetation planted along the easement.  

Essential cable joint refurbishment works are needed at two joint bay sites located within Powerlink’s easement, adjacent to Alpinia Terrace and Amazon Close in the Forest Gardens Estate.    

The refurbishment works on the joint bays will be undertaken during planned network outages in 2025 and will not result in any impacts to electricity supply.    

As the joint bays are located underground, the area above (approximately 20m x 12m), will be established as a construction site. This will involve installing temporary fencing, vegetation clearing, installing temporary alternate pedestrian walking paths, excavation of the joint bays and setting up equipment in preparation for the refurbishment works.    

The refurbishment works are scheduled for the 2025 dry season and further information will be provided to residents and the local community before these works start.     

Get involved

Residents were encouraged to provide feedback on our engagement activities and the vegetation management works undertaken in mid-2024 via a survey.  

The feedback received will be used to help inform planning for the easement restoration works and delivery of future vegetation management activities and joint bay refurbishment works scheduled for 2025.  

Through the survey, residents and the local community have shared a preference for us to continue to engage with them through letterbox drops, project newsletters and signage on the easement.  

The resident survey closed on Friday 6 December 2024 and we thank the residents who completed a survey and provided their feedback.  

Local residents, the wider community and other stakeholders will be kept updated about this project through:  

  • letterbox drops to properties in the project area    
  • door-knocking residents directly neighbouring the easement  
  • project newsletters    
  • webpage updates    
  • social media posts    
  • signage along the easement     
  • community information drop-in sessions.  

For more information on the Bayview Heights to White Rock Underground Cable project, please contact our project team on 07 4034 7600 or [email protected].   


Project background

Powerlink undertakes regular inspections of our transmission network to monitor its condition and identify issues such as vegetation that can impact the reliability of power supply.   

If not managed appropriately, some vegetation can be a hazard to our network and damage critical infrastructure, affect power supply and impact easement clearance zones.   

Inspections of the underground cables, easement and neighbouring Bayview Heights Transition Station have identified significant issues with the surrounding vegetation. This includes species with intrusive root systems encroaching on the underground cables.   

It has been determined that selected tree removal and vegetation management is required along the easement to manage existing and future risks to the underground cables and ensure the continued secure supply of power to the Cairns region.

Due to the extent of vegetation along the easement and its social and environmental value, a site-specific clearing approach has been developed for the project. The approach involves keeping as much existing vegetation as possible while managing risks to the underground cables.    

We have been consulting with local nurseries in Cairns to seek feedback on compatible species types and understand the variety and availability of stock.    

An indicative species list for the easement restoration works is available under the ‘Resources’ tab on this page – Vegetation Management Easement Restoration.  This is not a definitive list and is subject to change.    

While the species list is still being refined, the species used for the restoration works will be:    

  • compatible with the underground cables and the easement in their mature state    
  • locally propagated from local provenance seed and cuttings     
  • determined by the availability of stock at the time of planting    

Vegetation restoration zones will guide what is planted based on the species type and the zone’s proximity to the underground cables. The zones are measured from the distance of the centre of the two underground cables.    

This approach of planting within zones will support a diversity of species while maintaining clearance requirements for the underground cables and easement.    

Two of the zones have limitations for vegetation:    

  • Zone 1 (within 3m) limits vegetation to groundcovers only, such as grasses and rushes    
  • Zone 5 (within 0 – 10m) prohibits the planting of any trees identified as having intrusive root systems.    

In the other vegetation restoration zones, there will be opportunities to diversify the planting with palm lilies, shrubs, palms and trees. The image below shows the restoration zones and indications of compatible species types.     

Visuals showing the restoration zones and compatible species types are available under ‘Resources’ – Visuals.   

Details

Far North

Transmission Lines

Easement

Extended Maintenance

In Progress

Map

Resources

Contact

Far North Queensland Project Engagement Team

07 4034 7600