A LARGE area of land and trees has been recently removed next to the Ergon Energy substation, on Shute Harbour Road, Cannonvale.
Bangs, tree toppling and chainsaw noises have been prevalent in the Cannonvale neighborhood, just adjacent to the Ergon substation, for the past two weeks, as the first stage of the Cannonvale substation expansion begins.
Now, a wide-open space can be seen by drivers on Shute Harbour Road and surrounding areas; an open space that will allow the company to expand the current substation, from the area near to the existing substation, to the bottom of Lupton Place, next to the TAFE.
In April, the Government announced that Ergon had launched the next stage of a $27.5m upgrade of the electricity network, which will provide power to thousands of customers across the Whitsundays.
“The government announced the expansion in a corresponding media release…residents of the area adjacent to the construction received a brochure in the mail with information,” Senior Corporate Communications Advisor Emma Oliveri said.
The project is expected to refurbish and expand the Cannonvale substation and duplicate key sections of the 66,000-volt underground cable network between the Cannonvale substation and Shute Harbour.
“A safe, reliable power supply is a cornerstone of economic development and this major project is building on existing infrastructure to deliver long-term benefits for households, businesses and industries in this diverse region,” the Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement Mick de Brenni said.
The company assured residents the trees had been assessed for nests and it had developed an environmental management plan prior to their removal, for a safe relocation, if required.
The project will provide a greater capacity that, in turn, improves the security of the electricity supply for 8,000 homes and businesses in the area, and hopefully will prevent another Christmas in the dark, as in 2020.
For updates or to find out more about the project, visit the project website www.ergon.com.au/whitsundays-project or call 1300 653 055.
