Qld Hydro seeks accommodation for Borumba pumped hydro workers

Homeowners, developers and small businesses are being asked to come forward if they can help house the 2000 workers expected for the $14.2bn pumped hydro dam. Have your say in our poll.

As Qld Hydro plans the transformation of the Mary Valley into a renewable energy hub with the proposed $14.2bn Borumba pumped hydro dam, it makes a public call out for local housing solutions, but how will the influx of works affect the area? Vote in our poll:

The company managing the proposed $14.2bn megawatt Borumba pumped hydro dam is exploring ways to accommodate the 2000 workers expected at the height of the dam’s construction.

The game-changing 2000MW pumped hydro project, awaiting environmental approvals, will transform the Mary Valley into a major hub of Qld electricity, and while it brings in opportunity for local business, how the region can house up to 2000 workers in the face of an ongoing national housing crisis, has been a lingering question.

An additional 2000 people living and working in the area would triple the population of Imbil, the town closest to the dam, from its roughly 1000 residents, of which only 18 per cent are renters.

“Imbil is not a huge market and since the increased Covid demand the market has flattened out,” owner and principal agent of Imbil RPJ Property Ron Jeffery said.

Ron Jeffery from RJR Property in Imbil.

The supply-demand sits at a delicate balance and even a small influx of renters or buyers into the area would tip it out of balance, he said.

He currently only has two rental properties – one in Kandanga and one in Kenilworth, both are likely to already have applicants, if not about to be rented out.

The town has a 0.56 per cent vacancy rate, significantly lower than the rest of Qld which sits at 0.87 per cent – sparse compared to the state’s pre-pandemic rate of 3.3 per cent.

Mr Jeffery said there were developments in the pipeline, with a new subdivision approaching its second stage, but that was mostly targeted for owner-occupiers, rather than temporary Qld Hydro workers.

He said the current infrastructure of the village and surrounds “were not even enough at the moment”.

Imbil is at the forefront of the change the Borumba pumped hydro dam will bring to the Mary Valley. Picture: Christine Schindler

Once powered up, 100-200 people would be needed operate and maintain the dam.

According to Qld Hydro, the company wants to explore ways to minimise the impact the project could have on accommodation.

In a statement, the company acknowledged there would “likely be a semipermanent growth in population to the area due to the project” and “might cause disruption for the local accommodation market already experiencing shortages and constraints”.

Qld Hydro plans to build accommodation camps for their workers, but is still looking to understand the wider housing demand, project director Leah McKenzie said.

Civil Engineer and Qld Hydro Project Director Leah McKenzie is leading the Borumba pumped hydro project in the Mary Valley. Picture: Supplied

The company is also looking to lay the groundwork for potential collaborations with businesses in Gympie, Somerset, and Sunshine Coast who have housing projects in the pipeline or in development.

“For example, there could be existing tourism businesses which have the capacity to expand or develop their current accommodation footprint over the next few years,” Ms McKenzie said.

The registration of interest will remain open until Friday, December 22, 2023 and will be repeated in 2024 for further submissions.

Access the ROI to provide input on the Qld Hydro website.

Qld Hydro website specifically details they are looking for:

A landowner with the capacity to build additional housing on your property, such as a granny flat

An existing tourism or accommodation provider looking to extend your offering

A social enterprise working on housing and accommodation solutions, or

Currently working through the development application process to extend or add housing onto your land with your local Council

Residents within the Gympie, Somerset and Sunshine Coast Local Government Areas are eligible to register. We are not seeking proposals from major developers, non-local entities, government entities or projects related to major housing estate-style construction at this time, it states.

Originally published as Qld Hydro seeks accommodation for Borumba pumped hydro workers