Country Energy is planning a seven year, $70 million upgrade of its electricity network in Ballina Shire, Byron Shire and Lismore City local government areas to meet the growing demand for electricity in the region and to secure a reliable power supply into the future.
The proposal aims to ensure that the electricity network is capable of meeting customer requirements for at least the next 20 years and will contribute to the region's growth.
Why is the network upgrade needed?
Parts of the New South Wales Far North Coast (FNC), particularly the coastal areas between Ocean Shores and Ballina, have experienced continued population growth and increased demand on the electricity supply network.Ballina and Lismore, in particular, are earmarked for growth as residential, employment and service centres.
Electricity demand in this area grew by almost 25 per cent between 1995 and 2005, and is predicted to grow by more than 50 per cent over the next two decades.
Country Energy's proposed upgrade aims to ensure that the electricity network is capable of meeting the needs of a growing population and secure long term electricity supply to the region for future generations.
Benefits of the upgrade include:
- Improved reliability and capacity to meet projected electricity demand in a region marked for growth as major residential, employment and service centres.
- Improved energy efficiency in reducing line losses (energy lost in transmitting power along the powerline) by 5,200 megawatt hours per annum – equivalent to taking 1,000 cars off the road.
Community consultation
Country Energy recognises the importance of consulting with the community and ensuring all stakeholders have access to information about the proposed upgrade.Consultation will be undertaken with relevant Local, State and Federal Government stakeholders, community organisations, residents and the broader community. Consultation will occur throughout the identification of the upgrade options and the Environmental Assessment process.
Public notices have been placed in local print media and newsletters have been distributed to provide preliminary information on the overall project, processes and timeframes for the community consultation and the Environmental Assessment process. See below for details on how to have your say during the consultation process.
- Newsletter One - June 2007
- Newsletter Two - October 2007
- NewsletterTwo - additional information for Suffolk Park
- NewsletterTwo - additional information for Alstonville
- NewsletterTwo - additional information for Alstonville to Lismore
- NewsletterTwo - additional information for Ballina to Alstonville
- NewsletterTwo - additional information for Ewingsdale
- Suffolk Park update
Get involved and have your say
You can get involved by:- Keeping up-to-date with the proposal by visiting www.countryenergy.com.au/upgrades
- Contacting Country Energy on 1800 651 704 for queries or issues of interest relating to the overall proposal
- Visiting our Customer Service Centre at Lismore
- Providing a written response outlining queries or issues relating to the overall project. Written responses should be addressed to:
Lismore Project
Country Energy
PO Box 718
Queanbeyan NSW 2620
