Kaban Wind farm linked to supergrid as premier promises jobs bonanza in Far North

The premier has promised a jobs boom will come to the Far North as a controversial wind farm on the Tablelands was linked to the supergrid. Find out what the opportunities are.

THE Far North has been promised a “jobs bonanza” as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk flicked the switch on the $373m 157MW Kaban wind farm linking the controversial project to the supergrid.

“When you think about the incredible feat it took workers to get these wind turbines up the Kuranda Range up here to past Ravenshoe, it is an enormous feat but today these wind turbines will be linked to the supergrid and they will be able to power when completed 100,000 homes,” she said on Tuesday.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at the $373m Kaban Green Power Hub, connecting it to Queensland’s new Supergrid. Tumoulin Switching Station and Kaban Green Power Hub, Kaban. Picture: Andreas Nicola

“Sixteen of the 28 wind turbines are complete at the moment.”

But Ms Palaszczuk said this was the beginning of what she described as a huge boom for the Far Northern region.

“There’s going to be thousands of jobs. Most of the 100,000 jobs that we are going to be seeing will be in regional Queensland,” she said.

“There is going to be a jobs boom and a jobs bonanza.”

To get the supergrid started most of the manufacturing was brought here but she said this could change.

“We are looking at that prospectus of getting more manufacturing happening here for those wind turbines for those batteries,” she said.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles and Energy and Renewables Minister Mick de Brenni at the Kaban Green Power Hub. Picture: Andreas Nicola

The government is calling for equipment manufacturing businesses in the region to come forward.

“A significant opportunity exists to develop domestic manufacturing supply chains for the components which feed into the large-scale and industrial renewable systems,” Deputy Premier Stephen Miles said.

“On behalf of government, QTC is conducting a market sounding process to look at the existing capability and readiness of Queensland businesses to do this work.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at the Kaban Green Power Hub. Picture: Andreas Nicola

“This information will be reported to government in March 2023 to inform the release of requests for proposal later in 2023.”

Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni said there would be more jobs available as the state worked on creating the resources here.

“We’ve already got local companies working on this project, from local concreters to local security companies, to fencing companies; 250 local jobs as part of the project,” he said.

“This will abate 352 thousand tonnes of emissions, that’s the equivalent when it’s up and running, to take 100,000 cars off this road,” he said.

Originally published as Kaban Wind farm linked to supergrid as premier promises jobs bonanza in Far North