Community Bulletin # 1 November 2012 Our commitment to you Hydro Tasmania is committed to ensuring the community is a key part of this project. We will try and achieve this by: Ensuring you have all the relevant information you need to be part of the project Getting back to you and answering your questions in good time Keeping you up to date with the latest news and activities Making sure the island community is the first to hear of such news Standing by our commitments and our agreements with you Community Bulletin #1 November 2012 For more information What is TasWind? Hydro Tasmania will produce regular Community Bulletins to keep you updated on TasWind’s progress. It will include information about where and when we will be available to answer your questions as well as more details about the proposed project. TasWind is a concept being developed by Hydro Tasmania that could see a 200 turbine wind farm being built on King Island. Hydro Tasmania has just announced the commencement of community consultation as part of the ‘pre-feasibility’ phase of the project. We will also use the Community Bulletins to respond to issues that are raised by you, the King Island community. For more information please come and talk with us. Initially we will be at the Council Chambers on George St, Currie. Shortly thereafter we hope to set up a TasWind shopfront in the town centre. Our dedicated project team will endeavour to answer any questions you have and get back to you promptly if we cannot answer your questions straight away. Phone 1800 TASWIND (1800 827 946) Email [email protected] Web www.taswind.com.au Post GPO Box 355 Hobart TAS 7001 The proposed project involves constructing turbines in suitable areas of the Island, as well as a high voltage underwater cable across Bass Strait to connect the wind farm to the existing Victorian electricity supply system. TasWind would cost around $2 billion to construct. The proposal is being developed on the basis that it is a commercially viable business opportunity. As Australia’s leading clean energy business, Hydro Tasmania is ideally placed to develop the project. Although no specific location has been identified, King Island is ideal for hosting the turbines, due to its exposure to the famous ‘Roaring Forties’, a world class wind resource. The map shows some possible areas for the turbines, based on initial assessments. This is very preliminary and we are keen to hear your ideas. Hydro Tasmania aims to consolidate and assess initial community feedback by March 2013. Key activities informing this assessment will include: • Announcement (28 November 2012) • Community forums (December 2012 - February 2013) • Face-to-face meetings, group and industry briefings and project shopfront (ongoing) • Website, community bulletins and project information (ongoing) • Survey (February 2013) This will enable a decision on moving to the next stage in the project to be made by April 2013. TasWind is not connected to or part of the recently launched King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project (KIREIP). More info on KIREIP can be found at www.kireip.com.au It’s very early days... and we need your support to proceed What are the benefits for King Island? If TasWind proceeds, it will generate broad infrastructure and economic benefits for the King Island community. These are likely to include: Working with you to identify ways to support the Island’s economic development while maintaining the ‘King Island way of life’ • Expenditure injected into King Island’s economy during development and construction for things such as accommodation, services, construction materials and meals • Opportunities for job and business creation on the Island as well as the possibility of developing skills-based professions. We expect around 500 jobs would be created during construction and 10-20 when TasWind is operational • Hundreds of shipping loads over the project life. This is likely to warrant an upgrade or reconfiguration of the port • Upgrades to many roads and bridges around the Island • An increase in air passenger and freight services during the project’s development • Significant international exposure for King Island, which may support the ‘Clean Green’ brand • Fibre connection with the mainland will be required for the project. This may provide an opportunity to develop better communication services (such as the National Broadband Network) • Payments for land use. Letting you know in advance if we are doing any investigations that may impact on you Please feel free to let us know if you are satisfied with our commitment to you. 4 Elizabeth Street Hobart TAS 7000 Australia | GPO Box 355 Hobart TAS 7001 Australia Tel 1800 827 946 | [email protected] | www.taswind.com.au Hydro-Electric Corporation ABN 48 072 377 158 4 Elizabeth Street Hobart TAS 7000 Australia | GPO Box 355 Hobart TAS 7001 Australia Tel 1800 827 946 | [email protected] | www.taswind.com.au Hydro-Electric Corporation ABN 48 072 377 158 Printed on 100% recycled paper Printed on 100% recycled paper Community Bulletin # 1 November 2012 It’s very early days... and we need your support to proceed TasWind is in the ‘pre-feasibility’ phase. This means that currently the project is only an idea that is being assessed to see if it is feasible. This assessment involves preliminary social, economic and environmental investigations. A timeline, including project phases and processes, is outlined on the opposite page. Most importantly, Hydro Tasmania needs to understand the community’s attitude to the proposal before proceeding with a full feasibility assessment. The support of the local community is crucial to the project proceeding. King Islanders know what’s best for King Island and we are committed to listening to and considering your views when deciding whether to progress with the project. Why King Island? King Island is ideally suited for Hydro Tasmania to develop TasWind due to: • • • • The world class ‘Roaring 40s’ wind resource on the Island Alignment with the King Island brand An opportunity for Hydro Tasmania to further invest in Tasmania Potential to export Tasmanian renewable electricity into a favourable national market • Supports both the State’s and Hydro Tasmania’s renewable energy vision and strategies • May provide an opportunity to connect to Tasmania in the future should it be feasible. TasWind would generate around 2,400 gigawatt hours (GWh) of renewable energy for Australian households and businesses each year. This is enough to power around 240,000 households or nearly 70 Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCGs) per year. The proposed project would also represent over 5 per cent of Australia’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) and has the potential to reduce the amount of carbon entering the atmosphere by around 1.9 million tonnes per year. Why are my views important? We aim to lead a new era of renewable energy project planning and delivery across Australia by: • Genuinely consulting with the local community to understand people’s issues, concerns and views • Considering those views when making decisions about TasWind • Empowering the community to be involved in the decision-making process • Engaging with the community to ensure opportunities for positive outcomes are maximised. Understanding if the King Island community accepts TasWind involves providing you with all the necessary information about the project benefits and impacts, listening to your views and concerns, then considering your feedback. Landowner consultation We are developing an approach to making payments for the use of land. The principles of this approach include: • Paying landowners with wind turbines and infrastructure on their land. These payments will be based on a consistent methodology • Recognising restrictions on land use on neighbouring properties • Investigating funding and other opportunities with the community for the King Island community. While there are many ideal locations for wind turbines on King Island, no specific sites have been identified. If you are a landowner and would like to discuss locating wind turbines on your land, please contact the project team using the contact details on the following page. Many factors, including environmental and technical constraints, could exclude some parcels of land from being suitable. The final location of wind turbines on individual properties will not be decided for some time. Before the location of turbines or other infrastructure is finalised the relevant landowners and near neighbours will be consulted. How can I learn more about the proposed project? Hydro Tasmania has formed a project team which will be on King Island over the coming months to help you understand the proposed project and to listen to your ideas, issues, problems and thoughts about the project. We will be there to answer your questions and make sure you have the information you need to make an informed decision about the proposed project. Over the coming weeks we will send you information in the mail, host community forums and meet you face-to-face at different times and places. We will establish a TasWind Consultative Committee to ensure your views are represented. We will keep you updated with articles in the King Island Courier and come to discuss the project with your community group, if that suits you. We will set up a “shopfront” in Currie so you can come and meet the team, learn about the project and most importantly, understand what TasWind could mean for the Island itself. Keep an eye out for more details on how you can learn about the project and give us your feedback. In the meantime, if you have any ideas, comments, enquiries or concerns, please contact us using the contact details on the following page. Who will pay for TasWind? If TasWind is feasible, Hydro Tasmania will seek private equity through joint venture partners to construct the wind farm. Hydro Tasmania will also investigate Federal Government funding opportunities to support strategic aspects of this significant project. If implemented, TasWind will be a commercial venture.