Labor rubbishes claims of rehash
THE Labor Government has shut down LNP claims its $ 386 million transmission line is rebranding the CopperString project studied by the former Bligh government.
Opposition spokesman for energy Michael Hart said the Palaszczuk Government was “simply dusting off” an old plan where millions of dollars was spent on a 700km electricity transmission line.
“Yet another study won’t reduce electricity prices, which are set to rise by more than 7 per cent this year, driven up by Labor’s policy of higher wholesale electricity prices,” he said.
It comes after the Premier, with Energy Minister Mark Bailey announced they would make an initial down payment of $ 150 million and commission a feasibility study into the line.
It would investigate whether a 500km transmission line could connect a 75MW wind farm at Forsayth, the 520MW Kidston hydro and solar project, and the Kennedy Energy Park, which is a combination of wind and solar generation that has a capacity of 1200MW near Hughenden.
However, the project cannot guarantee that it would reduce regional electricity prices, with the Premier stating it would “hopefully alleviate prices for people in this area”.
Mr Bailey said the project had “absolutely zero to do with CopperString”.
“The LNP are clueless,” he said.
“They shut down the Collinsville power station, it happened on their watch. They had no infrastructure, no investment.” absolutely
Mr Bailey said the North was perfectly suited to a renewable future.
“We have relentless sunshine, we’re seeing a clean energy boom happening in North Queensland,” he said. “Yesterday’s announcement was an investment in infrastructure.”
The feasibility study is expected to take between six and 12 months.
Ms Palaszczuk said the project would create up to 5000 jobs. “This is the future,” she said. “The State Government is determined to show the rest of the nation what our state can do.
“We know that renewables will play an important part.
“We are going to look at creating that extra hydro- electric power station at the Burdekin Falls as well.”
Genex Power executive director Simon Kidston said the investment enabled the company to accelerate the development of the Kidston Pump Hydro and solar project.
“The development of this will create 500 jobs and put a downward pressure on electricity prices,” Mr Kidston said.
“Our stage one project is 50MW and that project can power 26,000 households.”
Infigen managing director Ross Rolfe said the investment was an important contribution for their 75MW wind farm at Forsayth.
“From our perspective it is a very visionary initiative,” he said. “It’s going to open up new frontiers.”
Kennedy Energy Park’s Rob Fisher said the Government was recognising that there was a fantastic wind resource in North Queensland.
“We’re working on building almost 1GW of wind,” he said. “That’s half a million houses.”