I was very happy with the letter that came in from Powerlink.
I believe that this was the only victory possible and the best possible outcome that is realistically achievable.

Powerlink cannot set an example where they give in to grass-roots protesters. In their corporate world that would open the doors for fights around the nation.

In reality the wonderful Eerwah Vale community has worn Powerlink down and they gave up while not loosing their face.

In 5 years Powerlink would need to start the entire process again. And they might just quitely forget about it.

In all practical terms we have won and can relax. If the discussion starts again, we will be well prepared.

After fighting something a long time the perspective can change a little but I would be happy to buy a property here if there was a mere possibility of power lines in 5 years…

In my opinion all that talk about property value actually decreases the value more than the lines would.

And talking about democles swords dangling over our heads creates an artificial sense of dread.
I am happy and the people who are currently selling their house would probably like to see celebrations rather than long faces.

I celebrate. 5 years is a long time and a lot can and will happen until then.

Cheers,
Bonny

When dealing with the dishonesty and deception that is part and parcel of the corporatisation of our modern lives it is worth considering the decisions that are made in terms of their bottom line. Superimposed on this prime motive is a weak, outdated regulatory framework designed to facilitate maximise corporate profit at the expense of the individual. Those reading this without first hand experience of corporate thuggery probably feel this description a little hysterical while those that have endured the last four years of abuse by Powerlink know the truth of it.
So why after grinding the residents into submission and spending huge amounts of money on the inadequate and inaccurate reports required by legislation have they “delayed” the project. Most would consider if you delay something you just pick up where you left off, not Powerlink. Delay apparently means you delete the corridor, file the reports and don’t seek designation from the minister and indicate the entire process will be repeated in five years. Given that Powerlink is a state owned corporation in which we are all shareholders we could reasonably ask what the hell are they doing. Is it possible that Mr Jardine really woke up one morning and discovered that the Surat Basin contained gas and wasn’t just an expensive French sink. Imagine his outrage at the Board meeting “Why wasn’t I told about this gas. Delay that Woolooga project immediately”. Yes seems unlikely but apparently we are to believe something not too far from this happened.
We can only speculate about the true motivation but at the heart of it will be profit. Assuming, as we have been told repeatedly the EIS process has been of the standard required to obtain ministerial designation why not request it rather than spend the money again in five years time. Is it possible that the EIS was not of a standard required? Is it possible Powerlink realised that the route chosen was in fact more expensive and disruptive than alternatives as indicated by PAGE? Is it possible the minister told them what was being presented was flawed? Is it possible that the consumption and growth projections were wrong as indicted by PAGE early in the process? Is it possible that Powerlink feels five years will dampen community opposition; only the hardiest of souls could fight for nine precious years of their lives while it will be just a blink to Powerlink. Finally could it be a way in which Powerlink could distance itself from the project without having to set a precedent that might give other communities hope. We will never know the real motivation only that profit is at is at its heart and the huge cost and ongoing trauma to the community was never a consideration.

Energy and Water Utilities
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Transmission line project deferred for five years

A proposed upgrade of the electricity transmission network supplying the Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions is being deferred until 2019, Acting Energy Minister Phil Reeves said.
Mr Reeves said as part of its annual network planning process, Powerlink Queensland has identified temporary change to the power flows into South East Queensland.

“This means the need for the proposed Woolooga to Eerwah Vale Transmission Line and Eerwah Vale Substation Project is being deferred by around five years,” he said.

“Powerlink is currently consulting with landowners and other key stakeholders directly affected by the proposed Woolooga to Eerwah Vale project to discuss what the deferral means.”

Powerlink Chief Executive, Gordon Jardine said the temporary change in power flows was a direct result of the recently-announced liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in the Surat Basin area of South West Queensland.

“I’m sure that we’ve all seen the news about the rapid emergence of LNG projects in the Surat Basin. What people may not know is that during their start-up phase, while export plants and pipelines are being constructed, the initial ‘ramp up’ gas produced by these projects is being sold to, and used by, power stations in South West Queensland,” he said.

“This has the effect of significantly increasing the power flows into the major demand centre of South East Queensland from the Surat Basin.

“As a result, during this ‘ramp up’ period, less power than usual is needed to flow down from Central Queensland through the Sunshine Coast region and into South East Queensland.”

Mr Jardine said this temporary change to power flows would delay the overloads originally forecast for the electricity network supplying the northern Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions, which are located within the major flow path between Central Queensland and South East Queensland.

“Powerlink’s existing 275kV transmission lines in the Woolooga-Palmwoods area of the Sunshine Coast play a crucial role in transporting electricity from Central Queensland to South East Queensland. Increasing electricity demands from steady population growth and the ongoing uptake of air-conditioning meant that an upgrade to the network supplying the Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions had previously been forecast to be required by 2014 to ensure a reliable supply was maintained.

“This triggered the need for Powerlink’s proposed Woolooga to Eerwah Vale Transmission Line and Eerwah Substation Project for which Powerlink has been consulting with the community in recent years. However, given the recent temporary yet material reduction in the amount of power flowing through the Sunshine Coast while the new LNG projects are under development, the need to upgrade the network has been deferred by five years until 2019,” Mr Jardine said.

Mr Jardine said deferring the project would require the corridor and substation site selection process to be ‘redone’ in about five year’s time. This involves the assessment of a broad range of route options, including the prevailing environmental, social and economic conditions, and the legislative framework, at that point in time. All work undertaken to date on the project had been carried out in accordance with its Government-approved process under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009

“I would like to thank and acknowledge all those who have contributed information to the project over the past four years during the Environmental Impact Assessment process. Although this latest development is due to factors outside of Powerlink’s control, we apologise for any impact that results from this change in timing,” Mr Jardine said.

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Media enquiries:

Powerlink Queensland – Leah Davis, Capital Works Senior Corporate Communications Consultant Phone 07 3860 2802 or 3860 2654 (24 hour media line)

Minister’s office – 3225 1819

About Powerlink Queensland:
Powerlink is a State Government-owned corporation, which owns, develops, operates and maintains a $6 billion high voltage transmission network that extends 1700km from north of Cairns to the New South Wales border. Powerlink’s primary role is to provide a secure and reliable network to transport high-voltage electricity from generators to electricity distribution networks owned by Energex, Ergon Energy and Essential Energy. Powerlink also transports electricity directly to large Queensland customers, such as aluminium smelters and New South Wales via the NSW/Qld Interconnector transmission line.

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