Borumba Dam hydrogen project invites stakeholders in

As talks with farmers and industry leaders begin for a multi-billion dollar hydro plant project in the same region where the Traveston Dam once divided the community, those in power have been warned ‘tokenistic’ box-ticking won’t be tolerated.

The next stage in a $22million ‘investigation’ into the potential for a pumped hydro energy storage facility at Queensland’s Borumba Dam has been marked with the State Government inviting stakeholders to a series of meetings.

In a statement, Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Minister Mick de Brenni said while the project, 45 minutes south-west of Gympie, could be a “game-changer for Queensland’s clean energy future … it is essential we consult to ensure we balance the interest of all stakeholders”.

He said up to 19 stakeholder members, including environmental, agriculture, community groups and traditional owners had been invited to join a Borumba Pumped Hydro Project Stakeholder Reference Group and would be consulted ahead of the project’s next steps, with the first meeting to be held in Gympie in April.

Gympie MP Tony Perrett has backed the plan on face value but called for the results of the pre-feasibility study to be released.

He told the Gympie Times on Thursday, the stakeholder group had to be more than just a “tokenistic box ticking effort”.

“Membership must be truly representative of the people of this region,” he said.

“There will be a lot of information and issues for the stakeholders to absorb.

“This can’t be another tokenistic box ticking effort by the Government.

“There is sensitivity in our community because of previous experiences with the failed Traveston Dam project, and the need to ensure water security for Gympie.”

The State Government’s invitations about Borumba come amid a big week for Queensland water security – on the heels of Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing the Federal Government would guarantee $5.4b needed to build the Hells Gate Dam in Far North Queensland.

Community sessions on the Borumba Hydro plan will be held on Wednesday, 20 April 2022, 3pm – 7pm in the Imbil RSL Hall and one Thursday, 21 April 2022, 3pm – 7pm in The Smith Room at The Pavilion Conference and Reception Centre, Adrian McClintock Park, 77 Exhibition Road Southside, Gympie.

Representatives from the land’s traditional owners the Kabi Kabi First Nations Native Title Claimant Group, as well as local landholders, were said to be “priority stakeholders to ensure the project properly acknowledges their deep and longstanding connections”.

Also invited to join the Powerlink-run Borumba stakeholder reference group are “environmental representatives” the Mary River Catchment Co-ordinating Committee, Sunshine Coast Environmental Council, the Save the Mary River Co-ordinating Group, Wide Bay Burnett Environmental Council, Queensland Conservation Council, Hinterland Bush Links, Economic development & Industry representatives, the Gympie District Beef Liaison Group, Australian Ginger Growers’ Association, Gympie Chamber of Commerce, Mary Valley Chamber of Commerce, Wide Bay Burnett Regional Development Australia, Queensland Council of Unions, “community representatives”, Lake Borumba Fish Stocking Association and Imbil Crime Watch.

“Our pumped hydro facility at Lake Borumba will be a multibillion-dollar project with the potential to generate billions more in clean energy investment,” Mr de Brenni said in his statement.

“It is potentially 2000 jobs for Gympie and the Sunshine Coast during construction and would generate around 48GWh, taking our rooftop solar and storing it until needed when the sun goes down, which starts to get to the scale of the Snowy Hydro.”

Aerial view of Borumba Dam.

“We are doing the work to ensure high levels of environmental protections and community consultation will play a critical role to ensure that.

“I’ve met members of the community and stakeholders and heard their priorities and design thresholds about no off-river storage created on the Mary to feed the Borumba fill and maintaining current environmental flows from the dam.

“And we heard what the community wants out of it – not just the construction jobs, but ideas for how we can build a legacy too, a long term benefit across the town and region.

“The stakeholder group will be tasked with looking at specific studies including environmental, hydrological, social and recreational impact assessments and will provide another avenue to ensure stakeholders better understand the project.

Aerial view of Borumba Dam.

“Meetings will also include representatives from Powerlink, Department of Regional Development Manufacturing and the Water and Department of Energy and Public Works.”

According to the statement, Powerlink project director Pumped Hydro Developments Chris Evans said the community had been heavily involved to-date, providing local knowledge and insights.

“We have received a range of stakeholder feedback from community engagement to-date, with the top three themes centred on hydrological modelling and water allocations, flora and fauna, and community impacts from construction,” Mr Evans said in the statement.

“We will continue to explore these and other topics at the first meeting of our Stakeholder Reference Group and the next round of community information sessions.

The next round of public information sessions will be in Imbil on April 20, and Gympie on April 21.