Pumped hydro will be central to Queensland's energy and jobs plans, but locals are concerned

Lush rainforest surrounds the small home they built for themselves nestled among the hills of the Eungella range just west of Mackay in north Queensland.

But the Pioneer-Burdekin project would effectively see the community of Netherdale, where Jim and Wyn Arnold live, wiped out. Queensland Hydro chief executive Kieran Cusack told the ABC the acquisitions were about providing certainty to landholders. "We are currently methodically working through all of the elements that you would expect for a project of this scale and putting together the business case that we will submit to the government," Mr Cusack said.They've been working on their eight-hectare property for close to two decades; they run a small hobby farm with a few cattle.

"Next thing, you know, the government's made this big announcement so we've had to put all our plans on hold.Grattan Institute energy and climate change director Tony Wood said the production of hydro-electricity had "been around for many, many decades", with the Snowy Mountain Hydro Scheme one of the country's most prominent.

The balance between development and its impacts was a characteristic of "quite frankly just about every significant development, not just energy", he added.That balance is at the forefront of minds for those impacted by pumped hydro projects in Queensland. Transmission lines and towers linking Borumba to the Woolooga solar farm will be 800 metres from Ernie Franz's home.

Mr Franz says he has concerns about the project's viability during drought conditions, which have affected the region heavily over the past decade."They build the dam and raise the wall and it doesn't rain, there's no water for the hydro scheme."The Queensland Conservation Council is stuck between a rock and a hard place — protecting the environment or responding to climate change.

The project, 270 kilometres north-west of Townsville, is one of the first new hydro projects in Australia in 40 years.

Australia Australia Latest News, Australia Australia Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Turnbull’s pumped hydro dream is not as bankable as he once thoughtAlmost nothing is going right in Australia's quest to become the first country in the world to be powered entirely by renewable energy.
Source: SkyNewsAust - 🏆 7. / 78 Read more »