Around 400 construction jobs and 35 ongoing jobs are set to be created as works begin on a $450 million renewable energy project in south-west Queensland.
56 wind turbines have been approved for installation at the Renewable Energy Systems wind farm project at Dulacca, 250 kilometres north-west of Toowoomba. The turbines would produce around 240 megawatts of power for the Western Downs.
The proposed development will also involve the construction of infrastructure such as substation, meteorology masts, overhead lines and access tracks.
Queensland Energy Minister Anthony Lynham said the Dulacca project followed the $48 million Baking Board solar farm at Chinchilla and $217 million Darling Downs solar farm, which started operating on the Western Downs late last year, and another five south-west renewable energy projects either committed or underway.
“This is yet another project generating jobs and renewable energy for Queensland, as we transition steadily towards our target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030,” Lynham said.
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Queensland Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said the State Government is invested in strengthening regional economies.
“This project will help with the continued economic diversification of Dulacca, stimulating job growth during both construction and operation.”
Renewable Energy Systems Development Project Manager Llion Parry said construction of the wind farm would begin in early 2020 and be fully operational by 2021.
“The wind farm development approval is a significant milestone for the project and we are excited to bring a renewable energy project of this scale to the Western Downs region,” Parry said.
“The site for the wind farm was chosen due to its excellent wind resource, proximity to the transmission network, and low environmental impact.”
Renewable Energy Systems is also investigating the possibility of developing a solar farm on the site, however this will be subject to a separate application process and is not part of this approval.