North West Transmission Developments

The trail, located in the Dial Range near Penguin, is extremely popular for those looking for an easy 40 to 50 minute quality ride. The upgrade was required to improve drainage so that the track could be used year-round.

Local contractor, Next Level Mountain Bike, was employed to carry out the repairs. The trail is predicted to attract up to 8,000 riders per year.

Damian Vermey, Project Director of TasNetworks' North West Transmission Developments said the team had been working with the Cradle Coast Mountain Bike Club to minimise potential impacts to those who use the track near the existing Mount Montgomery Reserve transmission easement during future transmission line construction.

"Through our discussions we also learnt about some of the more immediate needs of the mountain bike community including increasing access for riders during the winter months".

"TasNetworks is proud to support initiatives such as this which contribute to the health and wellbeing of the community of North-West Tasmania" Mr Vermey said.

Chris Fletcher, President of Cradle Coast Mountain Bike Club expressed the Club's appreciation for the timely funding.

"Without the assistance from TasNetworks, the Montgomery Loop Trail would almost certainly be closed again this winter. We are pleased that this trail is now open again for those riders looking for a quality, introductory track."

The proposed North West Transmission Developments project will increase the capacity of Tasmania's electricity network. As the project progresses, TasNetworks is committed to working closely with landholders and the community in order to achieve the best outcomes possible for all.

The North West Transmission Developments (NWTD) project is preparing comprehensive Environmental Impact Statements and Development Applications as part of the rigorous environment, planning and heritage approvals process required for any major development in Tasmania.

In 2019 following approval by both houses of Parliament, an Order was declared for the NWTD to be assessed under the Major Infrastructure Development Approvals Act 1999.

As part of this assessment, a robust Development Application and Environmental Impact Statement will together form one consolidated ‘application’ that will enable the Tasmanian Planning Commission (TPC) to assess the environmental, social and economic aspects of the project against the project assessment criteria. The TPC will determine whether approvals will be granted and what conditions will be applied to allow the project to proceed to the construction phase.

The Australian Government (Commonwealth) will also assess the application as it relates to Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) (EPBC Act).

NWTD Project Director Damian Vermey said TasNetworks is committed to protecting the environment,

“We recognise that we have an important role in avoiding or minimising any adverse environmental impacts through every stage of our operations and contributing positively to the stewardship of the natural environment.”

A team of technical and environmental specialists have been engaged to undertake investigations to understand the existing conditions along the route. The information gathered through the investigations informs the basis of the application for approval of the project.

“The North West Transmission Developments will help ensure an affordable, reliable and clean energy future for Tasmanians. We are committed to delivering this project in a way that is sensitive to the land, water and environment,” Mr Vermey said.

The once in a century upgrades will enable new renewable energy developments and Marinus Link to connect to the grid, unlocking significant economic benefits for the state and supporting the decarbonisation of Australia’s energy system in response to the impacts of climate change.

TasNetworks is proud to have contributed to the development of The Energy Charter’s Better Practice Social Licence Guideline.

Co-developed by landholder and community representatives and electricity transmission businesses, the recently launched Guideline is the product of effective listening and strong collaboration between the agriculture and energy sectors.

As the owner and operator of Tasmania’s electricity transmission and distribution network, TasNetworks is committed to engaging in a way that is meaningful, fair and achieves the best outcomes for landholders, the community, the environment, Tasmania’s electricity grid and the National Electricity Market.

The Energy Charter’s Better Practice Social Licence Guideline is critical to developing a deeper understanding of:

- The ways electricity transmission infrastructure impacts agricultural landholders and their communities

- The principles that underpin building and maintaining social licence for landholders and communities affected by transmission developments

- Practical opportunities to minimise impacts and deliver shared value during the planning, construction, operation and decommissioning of transmission infrastructure.

As Tasmania continues to work towards its legislated Renewable Energy Target to double clean energy production by 2040, TasNetworks congratulates and thanks The Energy Charter, landholders, community representatives, and other #BetterTogether industry collaborators in delivering this important Guideline.

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