March 7, 2023
NORTH Queensland is set to realise its “industrial might” as its mineral and energy-rich towns eagerly await to be connected and contribute to the national energy grid.
Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) MP Bob Katter has welcomed the Queensland Government’s announcement on purchasing and setting a construction timeline for the CopperString 2.0 Townsville to Mount Isa transmission project.
The 1100km transmission line is set to bring renewable energy projects in the North West online, including the Super Energy Hub near Hughenden, while powering the expansion of the minerals province, which is set to unlock the metals of the future.
However, Mr Katter said CopperString 2.0 had the potential to achieve more, including providing confidence towards the construction of the Hughenden Irrigation Project (HIPCo) dam and Hell’s Gates Dam, both which could be generating hydro-electricity.
“It's not just my electorate, it's the Australian and Queensland economies that will benefit,” Mr Katter said.
“Let's be positive, there are at least four, major base-metal mines in North West Queensland, that will open up when we get competitively priced power out there.
“I'm certain those three giant vanadium mines will go ahead and with their related product, there's no doubt we'll be producing over $1bn from the vanadium mines alone. Now there's a hell of a lot of other new metals out there as well.
“This opens up essential infrastructure items including the 1000mw windfarm at Hughenden, it opens the way for Hell's Gates irrigation and we will have enough cheap electricity coming from these projects as well as a full-pumped hydro system on the Tully River to carry North Queensland to its immediate destiny of four million people and realising our industrial might.”
Mr Katter said various governments had backed CopperString 2.0 for more than a decade without actual commitment and he looked forward to the project’s completion.
“Multi-user infrastructure by definition has to be a government initiative. All I can say is I put a power line in for $270m as a Queensland minister, it paid for itself in four years, it paid itself off, and there were no great mines between Normanton and Cairns, yet it paid for itself.
“We thank the Premier for her announcement and applaud her for igniting one of the most significant achievements seen since the sealing of the Bruce Hwy
“I believe that the Midwest towns will spark into large and significant towns… and we may even get our rugby league teams back.”
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