Borumba Pumped Hydro Project Update

The team from the Queensland Government’s newly-established public entity, Queensland Hydro have been meeting today with key stakeholders in Imbil, Kandanga and Gympie to further discuss the Borumba Pumped Hydro Project.

The Government has recently set up Queensland Hydro as a dedicated publicly-owned entity to deliver the Borumba Pumped Hydro Project, and the Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project near Mackay, announced as part of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

Borumba Pumped Hydro Project Director Chris Gwynne said Borumba Dam had been earmarked as a potential pumped hydro site for nearly four decades, and was identified by the Queensland Government as one of the best potential sites for long duration pumped hydro in Queensland through the Queensland Hydro Study.

Long duration pumped hydro is a critical part of the Government’s wider Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan released on September 28 by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

“Pumped hydro will play a vital role in the transformation of the energy system to renewable energy and a more diverse generation mix across Queensland,” Mr Gwynne said. 

“The Borumba project team met today (Tuesday) with a dedicated local stakeholder group to discuss a traffic and transport study while the wider environmental study is well underway.

“The team also caught up again with the Gympie Regional Council Mayor, Glenn Hartwig, to discuss the recent inception of Queensland Hydro, as well as general project progress.

“The local communities can rest assured that the change to Queensland Hydro is in name only, and the current project team will continue to work closely with the local community in the same open and genuine way it has been since last year.”

Mr Gwynne said the Borumba project team held a new round of community drop-in sessions in Imbil and Gympie in mid-July for the local community to get updates from the project team and learn more about progress on the proposed project. 

Over 100 people attended the July drop-in sessions, building on similar levels of community interest at previous drop-in sessions held in December 2021 and April 2022.

The next drop-in sessions are planned for late November and will be advertised closer to the date.

Mr Gwynne said the project team had received valuable feedback from the community, including through the drop-in sessions and the project stakeholder reference group.

“Currently, we are busy completing the environmental, social, economic, and engineering studies that support the detailed analytical study, which is due for completion in early 2023.

“We also have been conducting a community survey – with two focus areas on recreation and transmission connections – which closed on October 2.

“The survey will assist the Borumba project team to learn what facilities and experiences stakeholders value at the lake and what stakeholders love most about the region. Outcomes from the survey will also inform the detailed transmission connection investigations being undertaken for the Borumba project.”