Labor opposes push to revive Tully Millstream power plan
A RESUSCITATED plan to flood 4300ha of land to feed a hydro- electricity generator near Ravenshoe has met with condemnation from the State Government.
The Federal Government is planning a revised study into the feasibility of the mothballed Tully Millstream scheme. Treasurer Curtis Pitt said the State Government was committed to hydro- electric generation but the proposal should remain on the scrapheap.
He argued the same environmental concerns that led to the project being dumped with the creation of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in 1988 still existed today.
“The last study undertaken of the Tully- Millstream project by Stanwell in 2012 concluded that the project would involve costs of between $ 3 to $ 4.2 billion and that power prices of more than $ 200MW/ hour would be required to make the scheme viable,” he said.
“It doesn’t stack up economically or environmentally and would also force the closure of the existing Kareeya Hydro and Koombooloomba Hydro because they would no longer have access to water.”
Dalrymple MP Shane Knuth took a swipe at LNP Member for Hinchinbrook Andrew Cripps, who helped get the project back on the Federal Government’s radar.
He said Mr Cripps had never mentioned the scheme in State Parliament. “It is unbelievable that politicians have put this on the backburner considering tunnels have already been put in place,” Mr Knuth said.
Mr Cripps has been an outspoken advocate for the plan, at least outside Parliament.
A new environmental impact study must be completed before any decisions are made.