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Ingham to Tully Transmission Line Project PROJECT NEWSLETTER 5 APRIL 2012 This newsletter provides information about the replacement of the existing transmission line between Powerlink Queensland’s Ingham and Tully Substations to ensure continued reliability of high voltage electricity supply to Far North Queensland. About the project The existing 132 kilovolt (kV) transmission line between Powerlink’s Ingham and Tully Substations is more than 50 years old and requires replacement to ensure the continued reliable supply of high voltage electricity to Far North Queensland, including the Ingham, Cardwell and Tully areas. As a result, Powerlink is constructing a replacement 275/132kV transmission line. This project is the final stage in Powerlink’s $480 millionplus commitment to upgrade the coastal transmission network in North and Far North Queensland. Key points Activities to prepare for the start of construction of the replacement powerline between Ingham and Tully have commenced. This includes establishing access tracks where necessary, weed management on the easement, pegging of tower locations and selective vegetation removal at tower sites. • A Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was prepared in July 2010, following comprehensive technical studies and input from the community and other stakeholders. • P lanning approval for the new transmission line was provided through Ministerial designation in November 2011 and easements for the project have also been acquired. • C ommonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC) approval has also been provided. To meet EPBC conditions, Powerlink has prepared a Mahogany Glider Management Plan, Mahogany Glider Offsets Strategy and a Vegetation Management Plan. • C onstruction of stage one (Cardwell to Tully) has begun and will continue until late 2012. Construction of stage two (Ingham to Cardwell) is expected to start in mid 2012 and continue until late 2013. • D epending on the wet season, there may be a break in construction from December 2012–April 2013. Construction process Powerlink will construct the replacement transmission line in two stages: Cardwell to Tully, then Ingham to Cardwell. This two-stage approach will allow one line to be kept in service at all times to maintain a reliable supply of high voltage electricity to Cardwell. The replacement line will be constructed using steel lattice towers, most of which (approximately two thirds) are expected to be between 40 and 55 metres in height. Some taller towers, up to around 70 metres in height, will be used in more environmentally sensitive areas. These taller towers will be used in specific areas where the taller towers will allow conductors to be strung over the vegetation. The use of taller towers will also mean that we can increase the distance between towers so there will be fewer towers (approximately 20 per cent less) on the replacement line. Our project management team and inspectors will provide more specific information in advance to each landowner regarding construction activities on their property. Building for the future FOR MORE INFORMATION: FREECALL 1800 635 369 | www.powerlink.com.au Construction phasing Phase 1 – Vegetation management, weed control, access track installation and tower pegging Where necessary, access tracks will be constructed and gates will be installed in existing fences. Weed control measures will be undertaken on easements and access tracks. Surveyors have commenced final pegging of tower locations, marking the site with painted stakes. Any necessary vegetation will be removed or trimmed from around the tower sites. The cleared area required at most tower sites will be about 40 metres x 40 metres, which will allow for room to excavate foundations and construct and assemble the towers. Phase 2 – Earthworks and preparing tower foundations Tower foundations will be installed using an excavator and/or a boring machine. Excavated material will generally be spread around the tower site. Concrete trucks will require access to all tower sites to bring in the concrete required for each tower foundation. Phase 3 – Erecting towers Steel for the towers is supplied to each location in bundles and assembled into tower sections on-site. These sections are then lifted by an all-terrain crane to form the completed tower. Phase 4 – Stringing wires/conductors Initially, a helicopter is used to string a draw wire through rollers attached to the tower arms. Using a helicopter helps minimise the impact on land use, the environment and traffic. Winches are then used to pull the aluminium conductors (wires) through the rollers. Once the conductors are drawn through, work crews will use insulators and special fittings to clamp the conductors onto each tower. Phase 5 – Inspection and completion of construction When construction activities have been completed, the work area will be rehabilitated and a final quality and environmental inspection of the line will be undertaken, prior to the transmission line being commissioned. We will also ensure all work sites have been left in good condition and that all management, environmental and access conditions have been met. 2 Ingham to Tully Project Newsletter Decommissioning and removing the existing line The existing 132kV transmission line between Ingham and Tully will be progressively decommissioned between mid 2012 and late 2013. The bulk of the removal work will occur in the traditional drier months when access to tower sites is expected be easier. The towers and conductors (wires) will be removed as part of the project. The existing foundations will be excavated and cut off below ground level. The depth to which the foundations are removed will be discussed with individual landowners to take into account current and future land uses. Environmental management Work will be carried out in accordance with the project’s Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to ensure that any potential impact on surrounding properties, the environment and the local community is minimised. Specific control measures to minimise noise, dust, vibration, and traffic impacts will be in place. The EMP documents the strategies and actions Powerlink will take to manage any environmental issues that may arise during construction. Powerlink will also operate within its Mahogany Glider Management Plan, Mahogany Glider Offsets Strategy and Vegetation Management Plan, which have been prepared to meet Commonwealth EPBC Act requirements. The EMP, EIS and EPBC documents are available on our website www.powerlink.com.au (Go to ‘Projects in My Area/Far North/Ingham to Tully’). Project timetable The timetable provided is weather dependent, as construction activities will mostly occur during the drier months. Key Activity Expected Timing Start construction (Cardwell to Tully) Early 2012 Finish construction (Cardwell to Tully) Late 2012 Start construction (Ingham to Cardwell) Mid 2012 Finish construction (Ingham to Cardwell) Late 2013 Commissioning 2013 Working hours Compensation for landowners The usual working hours for construction will be 6.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Saturday. To maintain power supply to the region, it may be necessary to work outside these hours when working in the vicinity of the substations. Should we need to undertake any activities outside the normal work hours, we will notify nearby landowners in advance. All landowners who have easements resumed over their property for the new transmission line are entitled to make a claim for compensation under the Acquisition of Land Act 1967. Weed management Compensation negotiations with landowners affected by the new easements have commenced. This is a negotiated process with individual landowners, and it is possible that it may take a number of months for initial contact to be made with every landowner. We take weed management seriously and over the past few months, comprehensive weed surveys have been completed to help establish a localised Weed Management Plan for the project. The Weed Management Plan outlines specific ways we will minimise the spread of weeds during construction activities. The process for compensation is completely independent of the process for construction, and a landowner’s right to claim compensation is guaranteed by law. Therefore, construction of the line may begin before a compensation settlement has been reached between the landowner and Powerlink. Workplace health and safety Landowners will be paid interest on the compensation amount. Interest is calculated and paid from the date of easement gazettal. This guarantees that landowners will not be disadvantaged should it take some time for compensation to be settled. We are committed to the safety of the public, our staff, our contractors and the transmission network. Powerlink has appointed a principal contractor for this project, who will manage workplace health and safety on the construction sites. If you have any questions about workplace health and safety issues, please contact a member of the project management team via the methods on the back of this newsletter. Property access We try to provide landowners with as much notice as we can prior to commencing work on their property. We will endeavour to work around landowners’ cane harvesting and other farming activities. The construction timeframe and activities vary for each property and for each tower site. A Powerlink representative will further liaise with landowners with regards to construction timing and activities on their property. We encourage landowners to seek independent valuations and legal advice on compensation matters and Powerlink will meet reasonable costs for landowners to seek this advice, provided that an agreement can subsequently be reached on compensation. Taylor Byrne Valuers will be acting on Powerlink’s behalf in compensation negotiations with landowners and will be progressively contacting landowners to make appointments for valuations. If you have any questions regarding compensation, please contact Powerlink’s Property Officer, on (07) 3866 1392 (business hours). As construction will be undertaken in different phases, construction crews will need to make multiple visits to each property over an extended period of time. If you have any queries related to property access, please contact a member of the project management team (details on the back of this newsletter). 3 Community Benefits Program During construction, Powerlink will offer a Community Benefits Program (CBP) for the Ingham to Tully replacement transmission line. Funding provided through this program is separate from the compensation paid directly to landowners when an easement is acquired. The CBP funds projects that provide tangible benefits for local communities in close proximity to the new transmission line. More information about the CBP for the Ingham to Tully project will be provided through local newspaper advertisements and other community announcements. Frequently asked questions Q. Will Powerlink compensate me for any damage which might occur to my property as a result of the construction of the line? A. We make every effort to avoid any adverse impact to property during construction. If damage does occur, we will either repair the damage, or compensate the landowner fairly if the damage cannot be repaired. This process is separate to the compensation landowners receive for an easement resumed over their property. In agreement with the landowner, our construction team will take photographs and written notes of any damage that occurs to property or crops. We will ask the landowner to sign off in agreement that these notes are a correct record of the damage which has occurred. This documentation is important in ensuring the landowner is fairly compensated for any damage which may occur. Q. When will compensation for the new easement be paid to landowners? A. Once Powerlink and the landowner reach an agreement on the value of compensation to be paid for the resumption of a new easement over their property, arrangements will be made for it to be paid to the landowner and/or, if required, to the mortgagee. Construction may begin before a compensation settlement has been reached between the landowner and Powerlink. Some landowners wish to settle compensation matters as quickly as possible following the gazettal of the easement (as a part of the resumption process), while other landowners prefer to wait until construction of the transmission line is completed so that the short and long term impact can be better understood and accounted for in the compensation claim. Landowners will be paid interest on their compensation – interest applies from the date of the gazettal of the easement until the date the payment is made. Ingham to Tully Project Newsletter ABOUT POWERLINK QUEENSLAND Powerlink is a State Governmentowned corporation, which owns, develops, operates and maintains a $6 billion high voltage transmission network that extends 1700km from north of Cairns to the New South Wales border. Powerlink’s primary role is to provide a secure and reliable network to transport highvoltage electricity from generators to electricity distribution networks owned by Energex, Ergon Energy and Essential Energy. Powerlink also transports electricity directly to large Queensland customers, such as aluminium smelters and New South Wales via the NSW/Qld Interconnector transmission line. FURTHER INFORMATION For further information on the Ingham to Tully Replacement Transmission Line Project, please contact: Wes O’Brien, Project Manager 0408 450 672 (business hours) Email: [email protected] Website: www.powerlink.com.au (Go to Projects/Far North/Ingham to Tully)