Queensland Hydro: Commitment to caring for the community and the environment

After a tense community meeting, featuring an apology for the initial lack of consultation over the Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro scheme, Queensland Hydro’s CEO has written a piece to concerned residents.

Resources Centre of Excellence CEO Steven Boxall, Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert and Queensland Hydro CEO Kieran Cusack announcing a memorandum of understanding to upskill and train regional Queenslanders to build and operate the pumped hydro energy schemes in the Pioneer Valley, west of Mackay, and at Borumba, west of Gympie. Picture: Fiona Kroll

The team at Queensland Hydro understands our proposed Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro Project has been the subject of much speculation since it was announced in 2022. We know there is a thirst for information and believe that timely and honest communication is reasonably expected by the community.

We understand that the community has many questions and wants more answers. We have and will provide answers where we have them. Where we don’t have the answers now, we commit to answering as we do the work and know more.

Our intent is to do our projects right – which means right for both the environment and the communities near our proposed projects.

Addressing the perceived lack of information

We are committed to providing more regular updates and sharing the findings as our work is completed. We want to hear from community members and encourage people to contact us at [e-mail] or 1800 875 099.

The proposed Project is still in its initial investigation stage. We are undertaking environmental, hydrological, and geotechnical studies and obtaining information that will be provided to the State Government to determine if the proposed Project should proceed to the next stage.

If there is a decision to proceed to the next stage, Queensland Hydro will need to carry out more and extensive environmental and social baseline and impact assessments to enable Queensland and Commonwealth regulators to assess the projects and make their decisions.

The location and size of proposed Project

The proposed site for the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project is unparalleled in Australia. The 700+ metre elevation of the range combined with short tunnel lengths of just 3.5km between upper and lower reservoirs means the proposed site can deliver storage and massive energy generation capacity while being contained in a small footprint. Energy storage is essential to the energy transition, our way of life and will ensure our electricity network is secure and reliable – minute to minute – as more variable electricity from wind and solar is added.

The proposed lower reservoir is about half the surface area of each of nearby Eungella Dam and Kinchant Dam. The lower reservoir will not cover the entire Pioneer-Valley. So, while it is a large pumped hydro project from a storage and generation perspective, it is contained in a relatively small footprint.

As a comparison, Snowy Hydro 2.0 has tunnel lengths of about 27kms and is expected to generate 2,200 megawatts, while the Pioneer-Burdekin project could provide 5,000 megawatts of renewable generation for Queensland’s future electricity network.

Commitment to the community

We know the impacts on the community extend beyond the landholders with land that is proposed to make up the reservoirs, and there are more concerns than finding a new physical place to live. We have heard about the importance of remaining close to family and friends, maintaining important social networks, and being able to continue with existing care arrangements and schooling. We would like to work with the full participation of the community to properly address these and all other concerns.

We want to find a way where the community’s aspirations can be achieved alongside the proposed Project and ensure the longer-term economic prosperity of the region. We have heard of the growing importance of tourism, and the need to better cater for day trippers and other visitors to the Pioneer Valley.

We understand access to health services are at the heart of any community. With our proposed Borumba Pumped Hydro Project on the Sunshine Coast, we worked with the community to re-establish General Practitioner services that were lost years ago. We are keen to work with the community of the Pioneer Valley to understand what contribution we can make to improving health or other services in the local area.

Will there be impacts to Eungella National Park?

The proposed Project has been designed to ensure we avoid surface impacts to Eungella National Park. No construction will occur on the surface of land within the Eungella National Park. All the proposed reservoirs are outside the National Park boundaries. It is not true to say the proposed Project will flood the entire Pioneer-Valley or flood the National Park. Much of the land needed for the proposed Project has previously been cleared and used for farming and grazing.

Platypus and environmental protections

I share the community’s desire to protect the reef and rainforest. Our designs will critically consider how we avoid, minimise and mitigate environmental impacts to the greatest extent. There will be some residual impacts, and that is not something I take lightly. Where we have exhausted opportunities to avoid and minimise impacts, we will look to offset that in ways that extend beyond legal requirements – we want all stakeholders to see that it was worth it – to see the ecological benefits beyond the decarbonisation benefits.

We must demonstrate this to regulators if we are to secure project approvals. During the current investigation phase, qualified ecologists conduct ecological studies to identify how we can achieve this. We know the platypus and many other important species are found throughout Eungella and the Pioneer Valley. All of that will inform planning and delivery.

Eungella’s famous Broken River platypus viewing platforms are well outside the proposed project footprint, approximately 12kms away. This iconic place will not be directly impacted by our work.

Is the clean energy just for South-East Queensland?

There are claims the proposed Project is for the benefit of people in South-East Queensland only. This is not true. Pumped hydro energy storage is the key to the renewable energy transition because it offers stability – filling wind and solar generation gaps by rapidly releasing stored power on-demand, minute-to-minute. This renewable and reliable energy produced will benefit the greater Mackay and Whitsunday region, joining existing bioenergy technology. The excess energy produced by pumped hydro will benefit the entire Queensland electricity grid, both in North Queensland, in the South-East and everywhere in between.

At Queensland Hydro, we understand our enormous responsibility to help our State so every Queenslander can access reliable and affordable energy in the future.

I am committed to ensuring that our landholders and communities are treated fairly, respectfully, and equitably. I will ensure the Queensland Hydro team turns that intent into real action that is felt on the ground. We know that we have an opportunity to create long-lasting positive benefits beyond the transition to renewable energy.

Kieran Cusack is the CEO of Queensland Hydro.