North West Transmission Developments

TasNetworks is working to ensure project requirements are balanced with the needs of landowners and the community when determining where transmission infrastructure will be located for the North West Transmission Developments project.

Since August 2022, the placement of 42 towers have been adjusted along the proposed route as a result of engagement with landowners concerning their land use requirements such as locations of pivot irrigators. Another 20 towers have been moved due to technical findings as a result of field studies and some adjustments have also been made to the design of towers.

Investigations and consultation with landowners continues to be undertaken throughout the transmission corridors as the project progresses.

Community members can ask questions about the project any time by emailing nwtd@tasnetworks.com.au

Determining tower heights and design for the North West Transmission Developments is a complicated and involved task. It requires an understanding of land uses, environmental and geological factors, visual impacts as well as ensuring engineering standards are met.

The design of transmission towers is regulated by the Australian Standard AS7000. Each tower is designed to ensure that minimum electrical safety distances are achieved between each wire, each wire and the ground, and each wire and any objects that may traverse the ground underneath.

The project team has been working to reduce the number of towers required in the existing corridors. To do this, tower heights have been increased to enable a greater span between each one. View map

Upgrades along the following routes will result in a reduction in towers:

• Palmerston to Sheffield (reduction from 261 towers to 190)
• Sheffield to Stowport area (reduction from 118 towers to 85)
• Stowport area to Burnie (reduction from 19 towers to 14)

The average tower height proposed for the North West Transmission Developments is 49 metres. In exceptional circumstances a tower may exceed this height. This may be, for example, to reduce the need to clear vegetation in the easement, helping to preserve the natural environment below the towers.

Investigations and consultation with landowners continues to be undertaken throughout the transmission corridors as the project progresses. Information from this consultation and the investigations is helping to inform the most suitable locations for towers to be placed.

During March, TasNetworks conducted eagle nest aerial inspections along the proposed Staverton to Hampshire Hills Line to locate wedge-tailed eagle and white-bellied sea eagle nests in the vicinity of the proposed route. Eagle nest surveying activity is scheduled to recommence in late 2023.

TasNetworks uses standardised eagle nest survey methods guided by the Forest Practices Authority. These checks are crucial for gathering information as part of the environmental and social impact assessment process.

Precautionary protocols are followed and surveys have been conducted outside of the breeding season to minimise impacts on eagles.

Any new eagle nests located are registered in the Tasmanian Natural Values Atlas database.

For more information please visit the eagle nest survey FAQs page.

The North West Transmission Developments was a proud gold sponsor of the recent Taste of the North West event held in Sheffield on Sunday 12 March.

Supporting regional events such as this promotes community engagement and connectedness, and in this instance provided an opportunity to showcase the region’s finest food and beverages!

The NWTD project team attended the event and had a great day sharing information about the project with the local community and answering any questions.

NWTD - Upcoming Engagement

North West EcoFest
Sat 1st April 2023, 9:30am - 3:00pm
Camp Clayton, 41 Clayton Rd, Ulverstone

You can catch us at a number of events across the North West region in the coming months. We would love to answer any questions you may have and hear your thoughts on the project.

Do you have an event or activity you'd like us to attend? Please contact us at NWTD@tasnetworks.com.au

Cultural heritage assessments are one of the many tasks underway to better understand the impacts of the North West Transmission Developments. In January, an Aboriginal cultural heritage survey was conducted as part of the NWTD planning and approvals process. TasNetworks contracted registered Aboriginal Heritage Officers and qualified archaeologists from Cultural Heritage Management Australia (CHMA) to carry out the investigations.

The survey focussed on areas of known significance to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, identified as a result of existing data, engagement with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community and as determined by the Aboriginal Heritage Officers. The survey looked at areas where towers are proposed to be located and assessed the likelihood of Aboriginal artefacts and significant landscape features within those locations. The survey involved hand excavation of sites and searching through the soil at specific depths to see if cultural heritage material was present in those areas.

These surveys are ongoing and will culminate in a report containing specific recommendations in order to avoid and mitigate impacts to Aboriginal heritage. The report will be provided to the Tasmanian Planning Commission to inform its decision making process and assessment against the project guidelines and in accordance with the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1975. Once complete, TasNetworks will also share the top-line findings of this study and other key technical studies with stakeholders and the community.

Recently as part of the NWTD procurement process, a short-listed group of seven Expression of Interest (EOI) Head Contractor proponents visited sites along the proposed NWTD route. The purpose of the site visits was to give proponents a first-hand understanding of the project’s scale, scope, diverse nature and key opportunities.

Over three days, the group visited the proposed switching station sites and existing substations where upgrade works are required, in addition to various transmission sites where old towers need to be dismantled and/or new towers erected.

Transmission tower site visits included remote and steep sites only accessible via 4WD through to flat paddocks adjacent to sealed roads and sites in urban settings. The group also viewed various road crossing points (including the Bass Highway) where the head contractor will be responsible for traffic management.

This is the second stage of a multi-stage tender process which closes in mid-March 2023. Three to four proponents will be further shortlisted for the final procurement stage - Request for Proposals. We intend to release the Request for Proposal (RFP) mid-May which will close by mid-October. The procurement strategy for the NWTD project favours the appointment of a single head contractor for delivering the entire project scope to the satisfaction of TasNetworks.

This month, TasNetworks conducted eagle nest aerial inspections to locate wedge-tailed eagle and white-bellied sea eagle nests in the vicinity of the proposed North West Transmission Developments route.

TasNetworks uses standardised eagle nest survey methods guided by the Forest Practices Authority. These checks are crucial for gathering information as part of the environmental and social impact assessment process.

Project Director Damian Vermey said that whilst the helicopter surveying can be disruptive, it is essential that we locate the nests,

“Knowing where the eagle nests are is vital for planning the final transmission route. We avoid placing infrastructure where nests are located and use survey results to plan construction activities so that we can avoid disturbing the eagles, particularly during breeding season, should the NWTD be approved.”

The latest survey campaign has been particularly valuable in identifying new nests.

“We were able to locate 11 new nests along the route between Hampshire to Burnie, then through to Poatina.”

Precautionary protocols are followed and surveys are conducted outside of the breeding season to minimise impacts on eagles.

Surveying will re-commence ahead of breeding season and we will advise communities when and where this will be happening closer to the time.

Any new eagle nests located are registered in the Tasmanian Natural Values Atlas database.

For more information please visit the eagle nest survey FAQs page

The North West Transmission Developments Engagement Report (July-Dec 2022) is now available and provides an outline of the engagement activities that were carried out between July and December 2022 for the NWTD.

You can read the full report here

The NWTD Stakeholder Liaison Group recently held its first meeting in February for 2023 and welcomed new members. The Group includes key stakeholders representing industry groups, peak bodies, not-for-profits, education, skills and training sectors and state government organisations. Stakeholder perspectives and feedback are sought on a range of matters related to the NWTD, including economic development opportunities, procurement, community benefits sharing and environmental approvals.

Minutes from each meeting are published to the TasNetworks website:

NWTD Stakeholder Liaison Group - TasNetworks

NWTD - Upcoming Engagement

You can catch us at a number of events across the North West region in the coming months. We would love to answer any questions you may have and hear your thoughts on the project.

Do you have an event or activity you'd like us to attend? Please contact us at NWTD@tasnetworks.com.au

Taste of the North West
Sun 12th March 2023, 11:00am - 4:00pm
King George V Park, 62 High St, Sheffield

North West EcoFest
Sat 1st April 2023, 9:30am - 3:00pm
Camp Clayton, 41 Clayton Rd, Ulverstone

Marinus Link and NWTD – Upcoming Engagement

Burnie
When: Friday, 17 March – 2:00 - 4:00pm
When: Saturday, 18 March – 10:00am - 12:00pm
Where: Future Energy Hub, Cradle Coast Authority, 1-3 Spring Street, Burnie