The importance of connecting Mount Isa to the national electricity grid
As Mount Isa approaches its centenary in 2023, our region's future can be secured by the global demand for the new economy minerals so abundant in the North West of our state.
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The key to developing those minerals and retaining industrial jobs in North Queensland, so critical to the new forms of electricity generation, energy storage and advanced manufacturing, is the availability of electricity from the national grid for its extraction and processing.
Earlier this month I chaired a Regional Reference Group that had provided advice to the developers of CopperString2.0, the proposed high voltage transmission network to connect the state's North West to the National Electricity Market.
Based on the continues support of the Queensland and Australian Governments, we expect the 1,100-kilometre transmission line to be shovel ready by October and on track for completion by 2024-in Mount Isa's 101st year.
Those of us that live in the North and North West Queensland appreciate the importance of the entire Mount Isa to Townsville corridor, its how we mine, process and export our minerals.
In the future this corridor will be a large part of how we power the entire state.
CopperString 2.0 will support 750 construction jobs and is expected to sustain 3,500 long-term indirect jobs for decades.
The priorities are;
- Finalise the remaining items under the Implementation Agreement with the Queensland Government, as committed to during the 2020 State election campaign.
- Finalise relevant environmental approvals and arrangements with Traditional Owners and landowners.
- Finalise negotiations with the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility on its financing offer for CopperString;
- Finalise the EPC pricing and contractual arrangements
CopperString2.0 provides the infrastructure to energise our Ambitions for growth and jobs. I am very pleased with the project's progress and momentum it has with leaders, ministers and senior government officials in both Brisbane and Canberra.
Tony McGrady
Chairman Regional Reference Group.
Former Minister for Mines and Energy
Inviting Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan to Longreach
In recent weeks, Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan have poo-pooed carbon farming and net-zero emissions.
There is no doubt that James Walker of Camden Park Station, Queensland's nomination for the 2020 Bob Hawke Landcare Award, would be a good person to explain over a beer in Longreach how it is done ("Western Qld grazier up for major Landcare award", 21/7).
However, given Canavan's recent statements that he "hates that soil carbon stuff" and that, "95 per cent of our voters don't farm, aren't farmers or don't own farmland," it's unlikely he'd bother to make the trip.
Joyce, on the other hand, would probably front up, especially for the beer.
Ray Peck,
Hawthorn, Vic
No Planet B
July's promotion reminds us that, for particularly the last half century, humans are responsible for environmental damage and significant loss of wildlife. Oil by-products are destroying our beautiful planet.
Eloise Rowe,
Tannum Sands
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
