Peter Wellington recently announced the Energy Sector Monitoring Unit, a department of the Energy Minister’s office, will be conducting an assessment of the highway route. This follows MP Wellington’s remarks that “there was sufficient capacity in the national (Bruce) highway corridor for the location of the transmission towers” and “National highways were the appropriate and best location for powerlines.”  MP Wellington’s evidence of capacity within the highway corridor are two Main Roads letters, from July 2009 and June 2010, which counter alleged Main Roads objections in the March 31, 2009 Draft EIS Report.

Rather than the demanded “independent” review, we have another “governmental” review.  Perhaps time will show the Energy Sector Monitoring Unit to be objective and fair in their review. However, this cannot occur until the EIS credibility is first publicly challenged, following MP Wellington’s remark that, “I do not have confidence in the advice that the consultants are providing to Powerlink and I do not have confidence in the advice that Powerlink is providing to the minister.”   There is not only the EIS‘s two year unproven Main Roads objections, but a major fault in the EIS’s  comparative assessments of the highway route.

The EIS illogically completely ignores the necessary 11 kilometre southern section before its 9 kilometre section through Eerwah Vale to its proposed new adjacent highway substation.  Rather than correctly recognizing the “costs” and “impacts” associated with Powerlink’s total 20 km route, it instead only admittedly considers the costs and impacts for merely the 9 kilometre section when comparing those results to the total 13 kilometre diagonal direct highway route.

The EIS conclusions are obviously biased and, similar to the false Main Roads objections, these actions must also be publicly revealed and investigated if a fair governmental assessment, free of the EIS biased and false conclusions, is to occur and the actual shortest “least costs” route selected.

Mike Tsilfidis

Eerwah Vale.

Jack Connolly, President, Powerlines Action Group Eumundi (PAGE)

PAGE has sought support from Peter Wellington to have the detailed and fully
costed alternative proposal re location of powerlines independently
assessed.

We acknowledge that Minister Robertson has the role of an independent
decision maker under the Sustainable Planning Act; however, he will make his
decision of Community Infrastructure Designation based on the information
provided to him by Powerlink.
PAGE insists on an independent assessment of the alternatives proposed. It
is clear that Powerlink is in no position to properly perform that
assessment. Having spent millions of dollars on their own proposal, we
contend that they have a clear conflict of interest and are no longer in a
position to adequately assess another proposal favourably, without causing
themselves severe embarrassment and acknowledgement of the waste of millions
of dollars. PAGE contend that an independent assessment must be completed
and will show that the PAGE solution will meet the energy security needs -
at significantly lower net financial as well as environmental costs.

PAGE however feels frustrated with the review proposed by the minister, as
the review which Mr Wellington secured is to be performed by the very
government department which owns Powerlink.

 With the assurances given to Mr Wellington, we expect this Energy Sector Monitoring ESM Unit to call upon expert professional advice outside that offered by the proponent or related bodies, and PAGE would be happy to provide further input.

source: www.eumundigreen.com.au

MEMBER for Nicklin Peter Wellington is headed for a showdown in Parliament next week over Powerlink’s proposed high voltage powerlines through Eerwah Vale, Belli Park and Ridgewood.

 Mr Wellington has requested a meeting in Parliament with the general manager of the energy group appointed to assess Powerlink’s proposal, who will then make a recommendation to Minister for Energy and Water Utilities Stephen Robertson.

 Powerlink proposes to run power lines through picturesque property in areas such as Eerwah Vale.

Lobby group People Advocating Green Energy (PAGE) says the powerlines should run along the Cooroy to Curra highway corridor.

 Last week, Mr Wellington called for an independent review to be funded after he received conflicting information from PAGE.

Mr Wellington told The Journal he had received advice that the Cooroy to Curra route was not wide enough for the proposed powerlines.

However, a meeting between PAGE and a senior staff member working on the highway upgrade indicated the highway in fact was wide enough.

‘‘I have now received a commitment (from the general manager of the energy assessment group) that they will investigate the issue of the road corridor being able to accommodate the powerlines,’’ he said.

‘‘I want to see evidence where previous applications from Powerlink have not simply been rubber stamped.’’

PAGE president Jack Connolly said the group still wants an independent review.

‘‘Our option is 7km shorter, it’s cheaper and it meets all the objectives of Powerlink,’’ he said.

Jack Connolly with Peter Wellington and locals at proposed powerline site.

Source: www.questnews.com.au

The project outlines the transformation of a 50-hectare Valdora site into a state-of-the-art solar park sporting approximately 50,000 solar panels feeding power directly into the local grid for approximately 2500 Sunshine Coast homes.

EPA director Jason Hague believes the project will not only generate local employment opportunities and significant economic benefits for the Coast, but will elevate the region as a leader in the development of green power solutions.

“The Sunshine Coast has a real opportunity to become a leading hub for the production and use of clean-tech products and services,” says Jason, who is also a town planner. “If we want to change the way we operate and live up to the vision of being Australia’s most sustainable region, we need to embrace the technology and innovation available and do so on a scale that has real impact. There’s pressure on every level to deploy green-energy options that can cater for the ever-increasing energy needs of 21st century communities in Australia – politically, socially and environmentally. This solution can be rolled out on strategically located sites across the Coast and beyond to deliver solutions to high-demand locations.”

The solar panels will span across 20 hectares of the cane land site with the surrounding 30 hectares being rehabilitated as green space to minimise the impact on the local landscape.

The EPA model is based on identifying appropriate sites and building several centralised energy parks across the Sunshine Coast that provide large-scale photovoltaic (PV) deployments close to infrastructure and end-user demand.

“This solution goes a long way to meet council’s Energy Transition Plan endorsed in December 2010, which aspires for the Sunshine Coast to be a low-carbon economy,” says Jason. “The Valdora Energy Park will be a $40 million-plus venture and if successful in our application, we aim to develop local partnerships to deploy the technology on the site, thereby further delivering economic benefits for the region.”

EPA extensively researched the viability of the project and the range of benefits for the Coast, including ongoing discussions with the council.

“Energy Parks Australia has had several meetings with various departments within the council to discuss the project and to ensure its submission is of a high-quality, comprehensive in scope and addresses the wide range of issues required to be considered during the DA process,” says Michael Bismire, manager of Planning Assessment at the council.

Source: http://editorial.mypropertypreview.com.au/my-feature/coast-leads-the-solar-charge.html

Eerwah Vale residents James & Janet Luttrell and Jack & Margaret Connolly.

A NOOSA hinterland lobby group fighting high voltage transmissions lines through their area have helped engineer a power play that could go all the way to Premier Anna Bligh.

The Powerlines Action Group Eumundi has brought alleged contradictory advice about the suitability of the Bruce Highway along the Cooroy to Curra route to carry the electricity pylons to the notice the Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington.

He is now demanding that Energy Minister Stephen Robertson implement an independent assessment of PAGE’s Cooroy to Curra route by today or he will take his concerns to Ms Bligh.

Mr Wellington told ABC Coast FM on Wednesday morning that Mr Robertson had been told last year by the Minister for Main Roads Craig Wallace that the highway corridor was not suitable for the pylons.

“Since then there was a meeting held with the (PAGE) action committee and one of the senior department officers working on that (highway) project,” Mr Wellington said.

“The senior department officer confirmed in email to me, through his secretary, that effectively those minutes said there was sufficient capacity in the national highway corridor for the location of the transmission towers.”

Mr Wellington wants an independent review carried out before Mr Robertson makes a final decision on Powerlink’s proposed $100 million project that would cut a swathe through Ridgewood and Eerwah Vale.

He said that was expected by the middle of the year.

“I do not have confidence in the advice that the consultants are providing to Powerlink and I do not have confidence in the advice that Powerlink is providing to the minister.”

Mr Wellington said national highways were the appropriate and best location for powerlines

“I’d like the minister to find a way a way where his department is able to start an authorised assessment – if he is not able to do that well then I’ve made it clear I will take it to the Premier.”

PAGE spokesman Mike Tsilfidis told the ABC that such a review was “exactly the outcome that we’re looking for”.

“That’s great news.

“We were never against the security of supply in the area.”

PAGE believes the shorter highway route could save the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

A spokesman for Mr Robertson told the ABC that Powerlink was continuing to assess submissions and further comment wouldn’t be appropriate until he received a relevant report.

 Source: http://www.noosanews.com.au/story/2011/02/25/group-urges-minister-to-get-facts-noosa-powerlines/

POWERLINK will “thoroughly assess” a submission for an alternative route for powerlines through Eerwah Vale west of Cooroy.

Residents group Powerline Action Group Eumundi (PAGE) met with Powerlink representatives yesterday to present its case for the lines partly to follow the new infrastructure which will carry the proposed Cooroy-to-Curra section of the Bruce Highway.

Group spokesman Jack Connolly said he did not want to comment on the meeting until Powerlink responded.

Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington attended the meeting and said he was surprised to find Powerlink’s plans were to take the transmission lines all the way south to Caboolture.

He said PAGE’s proposal was “a better and cheaper option” than Powerlink’s proposed $110 million Woolooga-to-Eumundi powerline plan.

Cooroy councillor Vivien Griffin, who also attended, emphasised the council’s concern about the impact of the powerlines on residents.

Ms Griffin requested that Resources Minister Stephen Robertson provide a full cost-benefit analysis of the proposal in the light of renewable energy and the State Government’s own Q2 energy efficiency goals.

Powerlink CEO Gordon Jardine said the group’s submission would be properly scrutinised.

“This alternative route will be thoroughly assessed for its technical viability, environmental and social impacts, and the requirement under the regulatory framework for Powerlink’s network development to be undertaken with the least overall cost over the long run,” Mr Jardine said.

He said about 90% of the new line had been planned to be built within existing easements, “next to an existing transmission line”.

Mr Jardine said proposed lines through to Caboolture would only invest in what was already in place on double-width easement acquired more than 30 years ago in anticipation of future growth.

Source: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2010/07/13/powerlink-to-assess-new-route-powerlines/

Stuart Topp — Project Manager
Woolooga to Eerwah Vale Project
Powerlink Queensland
PO Box 1193
VIRGINIA QLD 4014

Delivered via Email: stopp@powerlink.com.au                                                                                    09 June 2010

CID – Woolooga to Cooroy Transmission Line and Eerwah Vale Substation Project

Powerlines Action Group Eumundi (PAGE) is a community group formed to ensure that the wider community interests are served when considering how to provide energy for sustainable development on the Sunshine Coast.

With this in mind, PAGE wish to work constructively with the Queensland Government and its agencies to deal with the issues facing the Sunshine Coast with respect to provision of energy. With this mind PAGE have commissioned an independent electrical engineering consultant to review the proposal and make an assessment of the Powerlink proposal and any feasible alternatives that meet the network requirements – the full report is attached with this submission.

This submission comprises documents (noted in the list of attachments below) which we have produced in response to your letter of 7 May 2010. In this covering letter we raise our general concerns with the proposed Powerlink project. These general concerns are drawn from our list of specific issues raised with the project to date and the supporting attachments. We expect you to respond to the matters raised in this covering letter and the specific issues in the attachments.

This document also addresses fundamental deficiencies in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process and the substandard final EIS produced. Core issues are addressed in an executive summary, with more detail and comments provided in the ensuing table, referenced for ease of use. We trust you will act on our comments and demonstrate that genuine community input into this proposal is possible at this late stage. We look forward to receiving the response to the CID submission in due course.

Yours faithfully,

Jack Connolly,
President,
Powerlines Action Group Eumundi Inc.

Executive summary

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a complex and lengthy document. In order to deliver a meaningful, community-centred reflection of impacted residents’ concerns, a substantial amount of time and effort was required, but not provided.

The main requirement of the EIS was to provide an assessment of the environmental (economic, social, cultural and physical) impacts from the construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of the proposed transmission line (TL) and substation, and to duly consider alternatives to the proposal carried forward. Ultimately this document is to be used to form the basis of a Ministerial designation of land for community infrastructure.

PAGE concludes that the proposal:

• Fails to assess the lowest cost and lowest impact solution
• Fails the Australian Energy Regulators (AER) lowest cost solution requirement
• Fails in its requirement to have adequately consulted with the community
• Fails to comprehensively address the issues raised by the community
• Fails the threatened iconic Koala
• Is not required in light of the alternatives proposed

The EIS cannot therefore form the basis of a credible assessment of the environmental impact of the proposal, which is intended to responsibly meet the future energy requirements of the northern Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions. The Woolooga – Eerwah Vale project is not required. It is incomprehensible from a system strategic assessment as to why the proposed 275kV injection with 800MW capacity would be fed into a 132kV bottle neck which is the 132kV system between Woolooga to Palmwoods given that the 132kV system limits the flows out of the 132kV system to the wider Sunshine Coast area to 200MW in its present and proposed configuration, while the wider Sunshine Coast area is seen to be the area which requires the new additional supply capacity.

There are several key issues that PAGE has identified within the EIS and project assessment process that lead us to this conclusion. These issues are outlined below and explored in greater detail in the attachments to this submission.

Fails to assess all viable options

Three alternatives have not been adequately considered by Powerlink and are documented in more detail in attachment A of this submission. The proposals have not previously been adequately assessed by PL or Parsons Brinckerhoff.  PAGE puts forward three cheaper and significantly lower impact solutions:

1. A single Bus Section Circuit breaker at Gympie (Cost estimated at $1.5M) deferring any augmentation requirement until at least 2027.
2. A Staged augmentation north of Cooroy (NPV estimated at $96.2m – savings of $14.4m )
3. Network augmentation Woolooga to Palmwoods at 275kV using the existing PL easement (NPV estimated at less than $60.5m – a saving of over $50m)

Options 2 and 3 were put forward in submissions to the draft EIS in May 2009. The solutions developed by PL from this information were incorrect and bore no relation to the actual solution being proposed. PL did not attempt to clarify or validate their understanding of the alternative solutions that they assessed and dismissed in the EIS. Options 1 and 3 have been put forward by an independent electrical engineering consultant, who has reviewed option 2 and concluded that this is also a feasible alternative to the Powerlink proposal.

The Eerwah Vale 275kV tee off line and substation is not required for the Energex 132kV Woolooga to Palmwoods system and the PL preferred solution is not the cheapest or lowest impact solution.

Consultation

PAGE considers the consultation process to be flawed and have consistently pointed this out to both Powerlink (PL) and Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) Australia during the past 18 months. The EIS displays lots of statistics about the volume of consultation, but no information regarding the quality or timeliness of the consultation. From a community perspective, the quality of consultation has been completely inadequate on a number of levels. They include:

• Refusal to provide relevant and timely information when requested
• Refusal to attend community organised public meetings
• Issuing misleading information and attempting to portray PAGE as deceitful and dishonest
• Treating this community with contempt, with no willingness to conduct an open and transparent consultation process
• Inadequate time provided to formulate a comprehensive response to a 1900-page document that it has taken PL/PB 19 months to compile
• The EIS either does not address satisfactorily or ignores the majority of issues raised in the PAGE submission on the draft terms of reference

The combination of these factors leads PAGE and its members to have little or no faith in consultation process undertaken to inform the EIS process or as a basis for the Minister to make an assessment regarding community infrastructure designation.

Financial assessment

The proposal is not the lowest cost alternative and the augmentation is not required urgently as stated by Powerlink. The table below highlights the alternatives, their cost and the timing:

Alternatives    NPV    Timing
Powerlink Woolooga – Eerwah Vale Project    $110.6m    2014 / 22
PAGE – Option 1 – Bus Switch (Gympie)    $1.5m    2014
PAGE – Option 2 – A Staged augmentation north of Cooroy    $96.2m    2014 / 27
PAGE – Option 3 – Woolooga to Palmwoods    $60.5m    2027
PAGE Preferred Option – Combine Option 1 and 3    $62.0m    2014 / 27

The PAGE preferred option is not only the cheapest, but provides a staged solution, requires investment when it is demonstrated that demand requires it and provides the best long term security of supply for the whole of the Sunshine Coast Region.

Impact on Koala and other species

Powerlink’s proposed route is planned to go through pristine koala habitat, which is home to a healthy population of Koalas. The koala habitat mapping commissioned in 2009 by the Queensland Government, the very mapping relied upon by Parsons Brinckerhoff, as the basis for their assessment of the Woolooga to Eerwah Vale area, has been found to be flawed and has drawn scathing criticism from a wide circle of stakeholders – including conservation groups, local government authorities and landowners throughout South East Queensland. Chief among their criticisms has been the methodology employed in this mapping project – which relied on the remote digital analysis of aerial image pixels (pertaining to tree colour). The consultants responsible for the delivery of the mapping to DERM (GHD), recommended comprehensive ground truthing (field verification of koala habitation), and that this was not conducted to the extent required.

Other key species including the northern most colony of the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly will be adversely impacted by Powerlink’s proposal with the easement planned to go directly through the habitat of the butterfly. Generally survey methods undertaken were not considered adequate, despite the community putting forward detailed proposals at the ToR stage of the project that would have ensured that detailed and best practice flora and fauna surveys were conducted. These proposals were ignored through the EIS process. Consequently the community has little faith in the veracity or accuracy of the conclusions relating to environmental impacts based upon the actual studies undertaken.

Conclusion

The dismissive approach taken to the alternative technologies and sustainable strategies aimed at meeting the energy needs of the region is extremely disappointing, particularly as it counters major policy reforms of the Bligh Government, namely Towards Q2.

Not only does it counter the Towards Q2 target of protecting more land for conservation as it rips through hectares dedicated as Land for Wildlife, it also highlights that Powerlink, a Queensland Government agency, is not serious about introducing its own policies and measures to cut carbon omissions. The government’s Towards Q2 – Tomorrow’s Queensland green vision is made to appear as nothing more than that; a vision.

Therefore, based on the innumerable flaws in the EIS, many highlighted in this document, this Project and the proposed alignment cannot be recommended to the Minister for designation and should be stopped now. This EIS fails to fulfil the ToR and lacks critical detail, providing the Minister with inferior and insufficient information on which to base a decision regarding the designation of land for community purposes.

This Project also cannot be recommended with integrity, based on the inappropriate EIS process deployed, including poor community consultation and engagement practices. The process for Ministerial designation regarding this Project is therefore flawed to a potentially devastating extent, based upon the current analysis completed.

Recommendation

Based on the above considerations, the PL preferred option cannot be endorsed and Community Infrastructure Designation (CID) should not be granted. The EIS has failed to address all of the relevant and cheaper options. The PL preferred option is clearly not the cheapest option and will not pass the regulatory test as required by the Australian Energy Regulator. The CID should be refused and PAGE asks that an independent and transparent assessment be made of the options proposed in this document and that the lowest impact and cheapest option be selected that meets the network requirements.

PAGE further recommends that should an alternative option be considered a more appropriate alternative that the Community Infrastructure Designation process be abandoned for the Powerlink proposal and the cheaper options outlined in this submission be assessed with a view to eventual designation when actually required in 2027 at the earliest.

Full Submission Document Link

The full submission can be downloaded from this link (967kB):

PAGE CID Submission – Alternative Proposal

An alternative powerline upgrade proposed by Noosa hinterland residents would save taxpayers at least $8.2 million compared to the proposed Powerlink route.

Powerlines Action Group Eumundi has made a submission to Michael Choi, parliamentary secretary of Energy Minister Stephen Robertson which it hopes will halt high voltage pylons cutting through Ridgewood and Eerwah Vale.

PAGE president Jack Connolly said on Friday it looked as though their counter proposal may see the minister consider his options.

He was told officially that Mr Robertson’s community infrastructure designation – the green light to start buying land for the route – was to have been made last week.

This was after the post-Easter week deadline was extended.

Mr Connolly, in a letter to Mr Choi, who recently inspected the proposed areas, said PAGE’s proposal makes use of existing infrastructure corridors and “avoids additional environmental impacts”.

The lobby group maintains there would be no new fragmentation of koala habitat, and had better access for construction and maintenance.

Part of the PAGE route follows the existing Bruce Highway

“Since the inception of the Powerlink project, the growth patterns in population have changed,” Mr Connolly wrote.

“Noosa area is now projected to grow at a lower rate than anticipated and the Gympie region is projected to grow at a higher rate.

“PAGE contend that the PL (Powerlink) solution, contrary to the EIS, will not meet the power requirements for the Gympie region in the long term and additional augmentation will be required making the PL solution more costly than disclosed.”

PAGE claimed any excess energy requirements that may be required on the northern Sunshine Coast could be delivered via the new Energex Pacific Paradise project “which reinforces the Noosa area”.

Powerlink said upcoming consultation, as part of the designation process, will provide a formal opportunity for all interested stakeholders to make further comment.

Powerlink chief operating officer Simon Bartlett said that the formal process for the Woolooga to Eerwah Vale Transmission Line and Eerwah Vale Substation project under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 was still under way.

“Specialist environment consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) assessed 12 different routes for the new powerline in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project,” Mr Bartlett said.

“This assessment included all alternative route submissions that had been provided to Powerlink by the Powerlines Action Group Eumundi (PAGE) and/or community members at that point in time.

Some of the 12 routes included alignments alongside the Bruce Highway for part of the way.

“It is understood that since the conclusion of the Final EIS, PAGE has developed another highway option.”

Mr Bartlett said the designation consultation process would commence in early May Powerlink wrote to all stakeholders, including landowners whose properties were expected to be directly affected by the project, advising of its intention to seek ministerial designation of the land required for the project. Advertisements will also appear in local newspapers.

“Landowners, stakeholders and other interested parties will be invited to comment on Powerlink’s proposal to seek ministerial designation.

“All submissions will be addressed,” Mr Bartlett said.

Source: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2010/05/04/pages-cost-effective-option/

It was not quite a case of bringing the minister to the mountain to see the possible natural loss a Powerlink upgrade would cause to Ridgewood and Eerwah Vale.

But taking Michael Choi, the parliamentary secretary to Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Minister Stephen Robinson, out of his Queen Street comfort zone last Wednesday was the next best thing.

Independent Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington, with LNP environment shadow minister and Member for Noosa Glen Elmes, gave Mr Choi a two-hour cook’s tour of the planned Powerlink high-voltage powerline route and the highway alternative.

They were accompanied by the Powerlines Action Group Eumundi lobby group, made up of local residents advocating Powerlink’s plans would short-circuit the local environment, their health and their lifestyle.

Mr Wellington was pleased with the hearing Mr Choi gave the concerns and hoped the MP imparted to Mr Robinson the major benefits and cost advantages to following the national infrastructure route down the highway.

“I think he has seen for himself the actual problems faced by going through Powerlink’s route – the damage it would do to the environment and the steepness of the terrain,” Mr Wellington said.

“The pylons would be running beside some very steep hills and with a cleared buffer zone there is a real danger of land slips.”

PAGE spokesman Jack Connolly said residents were forced to block an attempt by Powerlink to send a senior executive along to the tour.

With that distraction out of the way, Mr Connolly said they were given a good hearing by Mr Choi, his personal assistant and another staffer.

“I think we opened their eyes – they kept on saying how beautiful the land was out here,” Mr Connolly said.

“But we want to convince them through the engineering – that you shouldn’t be building powerlines on 55 degree slopes when you have the alternative of flat land.”

Mr Connolly said some time after Easter, Powerlink would be applying to Mr Robinson to designate the power route and PAGE would have 15 days to respond.

“We will be doing so in our usual factual and scientific way,” he said.

Meanwhile, Richmond birdwing butterfly recovery project founder Dr Don Sands said last Wednesday he would need to inspect the powerline route before passing judgement on whether the buffer zones were adequate.

PAGE maintained the critical habitat of this threatened species would be destroyed by the powerlines in Eerwah Vale and Ridgewood.

Source:  http://www.noosanews.com.au/story/2010/04/06/powerlink-powerline-choi-ridgewood-eerwah-vale/