Overview
Powerlink was engaged by Stanwell Corporation Limited to relocate a short section of our existing Tarong to Middle Ridge transmission line to safely accommodate expanded mining activities at the Meandu Mine.
Stanwell intends to conduct mining within the current surface rights area located underneath the existing transmission line and approval to increase the surface rights area of the mine, known as the King 2 East (K2E) project. Visit Stanwell’s K2E project page for more information.
Status
Powerlink completed construction and transmission line energisation in May of 2024.
Project background
Scope
Powerlink built a new 4.6km section of 275kV transmission line, including 15 towers, to replace an existing section of line impacted by Stanwell’s future proposed mining activities. The project also included decommissioning and removing the existing 3.8km section of line. The replacement transmission line section was immediately east of the proposed K2E boundary.
This ensured the replacement line was as short as possible and minimised impacts to the surrounding area. The new corridor maximised state forest and industrial land used in the region, with the relocated section of line traversing around 3.4km of state forest and the remaining 1.2km in land owned by Stanwell. The corridor is located several kilometres away from the nearest rural residential properties. This section of line is also largely obscured by state forest, which minimised visual amenity impacts for neighbouring properties.
MINISTERIAL INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGNATION APPROVAL
As part of the project’s approval process under the Planning Act 2016, an Environmental Assessment Report (EAR) was released for public comment in April 2023.
A copy of the EAR is available on this webpage. It identified the final alignment for the relocated section of line, located within the recommended corridor identified in the Final Corridor Selection Report (CSR).
The report also identified the potential social, environmental and economic impacts of the project, and how those impacts can be mitigated or managed, across the whole lifecycle of the infrastructure where possible.
Ministerial Infrastructure Designation approval was received on 18 July 2023 and published in the Queensland Government Gazette on 21 July 2023.
We thanked all directly affected landholders, including the Traditional Owners, for their ongoing assistance and involvement in meetings to progress the project.
Construction
Following completion of planning approvals, site preparation works commenced for the transmission line relocation at Meandu Mine.
Initial construction activities included vegetation management and preparation of access tracks to facilitate the safe and efficient delivery of construction activities. Once preliminary works were completed, foundation works for the transmission towers in the relocated section of transmission line commenced, followed by tower assembly and stringing activities. Following completion of construction for the new line, the existing line was decommissioned.