The Queensland Government is looking to generate hydroelectricity from the Burdekin Falls Dam south of Townsville.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said her government was already investigating raising the height of the dam wall by two metres, increasing its capacity from 1860 GL to more than 2000 GL, and believes a hydroelectric plant could generate 150 GWh, the equivalent of the annual energy use of 30,000 homes, based on the expanded capacity of the Dam.
"The hydroelectric potential in the Burdekin has been talked about since the 1940s," the Premier said.
"Today I'm calling on the Prime Minister to work with my Government as we develop a Burdekin Hydro business case to complement the strategic assessment underway on the raising of the Burdekin Falls Dam by two metres to store more water and generate electricity."
She said it would complement the existing Koombooloomba, Kareeya and Barron Gorge hydro power stations currently operating in North Queensland and the 800 MW pipeline of renewable energy projects committed in North Queensland over the last 12 months.”
"Generating hydro-electricity off the Burdekin Falls Dam, supporting other renewable energy projects and developing pipelines connecting gas reserves to communities and industry in the North, are more realistic and viable than a hypothetical and expensive coal-fired power station," she said.
"The Burdekin Falls Dam is already the largest dam in Queensland holding four times the capacity of Sydney Harbour. Queenslanders are experiencing higher wholesale generation prices in part as a result of the closure of privately owned power stations in the southern States driving up demand on Queensland as an energy exporter. We are developing a solid mix of our energy resources – coal, gas and renewables – bringing on more supply to the National Energy Market when southern states on the east coast refuse to."
Palaszczuk believes the project would be an ideal candidate for Federal Government's $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility and its infrastructure investment.
"Queensland is still yet to receive one cent in funding from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility more than 680 days after it was announced," she said.
"With the support of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility and the investment by the Queensland Government in the development of a business case this nation building project can become a reality."
[The Burdekin Falls Dam. Photo: Queensland Government]
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