Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith excited for Bundaberg Port’s role in wind farm

Bundaberg Port has been eyed off as a potential site expected to play a key role in the construction of the $2bn Tuan Forest wind farm.

The Bundaberg Port is expected to play a key role in a $2bn wind farm project that will transform green energy across the Wide Bay region.

Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith said the port was identified as a potential point of transport for the unloading of large scale parts needed for the Forest Wind project at Tuan Forest.

The project is being developed at the Tuan Forest between Maryborough and Gympie and will include 226 turbines.

“Just this morning we were out at the Bundaberg Port checking out the new base where we will see wind turbines coming into the port that will go out into the Forest Wind project,” Mr Smith said.

Upgrades have been proposed for the port to handle the massive transport load as part of the $10m Common User Infrastructure project.

Construction of a new $20 million bulk goods conveyor facility at Bundaberg Port is just one of the upgrades scheduled.

As Bundaberg cements itself as the leading city in the nation for solar panels, the state government has begun to explore more methods of bringing renewable energy to regional towns.

The wind farm is proposed to have the capacity to power one in four Queensland homes, and will create hundreds of jobs over its construction period.

“This is a very exciting time for Queensland, the new plan means clean energy but through the same dirty shirts,” Mr Smith said.

Improvements to the substation at Branyan, along with a $10m upgrade to the East Bundaberg Substation are just some of the plans for the Bundaberg grid.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton expressed his fears in Bundaberg last week that a shift from fossil fuels could be “disastrous” for the state.