No Eiffel Tower but awful big advance

IT’s no Eiffel Tower, but the jumble of transformers, insulators and cabling off Dalrymple Rd has been a fixture of Townsville’s landscape at Garbutt since 1958. The old sub-station makes up for its lack of aesthetic appeal with functionality by ensuring about 55,000 homes and businesses in the region aren’t be plunged into darkness.

Now, 64 years after being switched on to convert high voltage electricity into medium voltage power which is then distributed to private and commercial customers, the old outdoor Garbutt substation is getting a makeover fitting of 21st century technology.

The station will be dismantled and replaced with a $30m hub inside a new building, equipped with more compact gas-insulated switching gear, protected from the outdoor elements. It’s not a visually striking undertaking, but the three-year project will provide about 180 jobs and “is about looking after the infrastructure we need into the future”, Townsville MP Scott Stewart said.

“We are replacing the substation with the latest and greatest technology. ” he added. “While it is impressive the substation has stood the test of time, much of the existing infrastructure and equipment is due for retirement and will be replaced with new, modern 66kv gasinsulated switchgear.”

Later this month, work will begin to install a new section of high-voltage underground cable underneath Woolcock and Hugh St near Mcdonald’s restaurant to connect to the substation.

The new subsation is set to begin operations in December 2025 and then the old outdoor switchyard will be demolished, marking a new era of progress on Townsville's lanscape.