Virginia Site Uplift Project

Overview

To successfully manage Queensland’s complex energy system into the future, we have identified the need to review the facilities at our Virginia site.

We have commenced early planning to upgrade a section of our headquarters at Harold Street, Virginia in Brisbane.

During our long history of being based in Virginia, not only has our workforce grown, but also the complexity of managing the ongoing safe, reliable and secure supply of electricity across our growing state.

As we help to facilitate the transformation of Queensland’s energy system, it is critical we have facilities that are fit-for-purpose to meet the increasingly complex environment in which we are operating.

Status

The Virginia Site Uplift Project is in the initial stages of planning and is proposed to be delivered in two stages.

The first stage includes a new fit-for-purpose administration building, a food service area and additional car parking.

This new building is expected to be three storeys in height plus plant (such as air conditioning vents and lift motor equipment) which is essential to ensure the building can safely operate. The new development will also feature landscaping and recreational spaces.

The second stage involves the partial replacement of warehouse and operational services facilities. This includes an additional new building that is expected to be two storeys in height.

Ministerial Infrastructure Designation process

In order to progress the planning approvals for this project, Powerlink is following a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) process.

MIDs are a type of State Government approval process that facilitate the delivery of infrastructure that supports communities. Examples of infrastructure that may use the MID process include hospitals, schools, sporting facilities, water supply infrastructure and powerlines. The Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning is responsible for approving an MID.

There are a number of opportunities where you can provide your input throughout the MID approval process, and we welcome your feedback and insights to help inform our final project plans.

We’re committed to working with our nearby residents, the local community and other stakeholders to progress this project.

The first opportunity for your feedback, referred to in the diagram below as the ‘Pre-Lodgement Consultation’, closed on 27 February 2025. In April 2025, we will formally lodge our Environmental Assessment Report (EAR) to the Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning.

The EAR will be released for formal public comment down the track. This will be your second opportunity to provide comments in a more formal capacity.

The EAR will comprehensively examine a range of social (including traffic, noise, landscaping, visual amenity), environmental and economic impacts from the development, and how those impacts can be mitigated or managed.

This will also include completing a range of technical assessment reports exploring topics such as traffic impacts, acoustic considerations, and architectural and landscape concept plans. Specialist consultants will be engaged to prepare the relevant reports that provide a high-level review of these areas of focus.

The MID steps are outlined in the timeline in the right-hand column of this page.

Get Involved

We are committed to working closely with local residents and other stakeholders near our site to share details on the project and outline opportunities for people to share their feedback on our proposed facilities uplift.

Feedback can be provided via our project email and contact number. We look forward to hearing from local residents and other stakeholders.